For the Longest Time
by bass0bassinum
Summary: Red, the Ex-champion of Kanto is returning home on a mission to catch the legendary pokemon. However, through a series of events he crosses paths with The Great Shadow Thief: Leaf Green whom he blackmails into traveling with him. How will these two fare with one another and will something blossom between them? *Burnleafshipping/Luckyshipping
1. Chapter 1: His Story

**Hey Everyone!**

**Just a little update for those of you who are either new to this story or former readers. Slowly but surely, I have been gradually updating the old chapters of this story with more flavor text, grammar, etc (mainly because I was new to writing at the time….and it really shows in the old chapters). As of right now I have currently revamped chapters 1-6 and I do plan to go through the rest and revamp them as well.**

**Right now, my main focus is going to be on my new story, but there will be times that I will be in the mood to come back and revamp old chapters on here.**

**So keep an eye out and I will update this front page every time a chapter has been updated.**

* * *

Chapter 1: His Story

The sun shone down on the calm waters as the wind brushed against his face. All he could hear was the steady purring of the S.S Anne as he saw his destination get closer and closer.

"_I can't believe that after all this time, I'm finally returning home."_ He thought to himself.

It had been years since Red; the former champion, left the Kanto region in order to explore other lands and now he was finally going back to where it all began.

However, before he could get too nostalgic, his thoughts were interrupted.

"Excuse me sir?" A voice called out.

He looked over to see a sailor coming towards him "We'll be arriving in Vermillion City in 30 minutes!"

"Thank you!" He nodded and turned to his electrical partner on his shoulder "Well buddy are you ready to go home?"

His partner smiled and shouted his familiar "Pika!".

* * *

Sure enough, within 30 minutes the S.S Anne was docked in Vermillion City and Red found himself standing on a dock, looking at the land he had not seen in years.

Upon looking around his eyes caught sight of a tall gentlemen in a lab coat with a sign that said "RED" on it.

"You must be one of Oaks aides right?" Red asked the gentleman.

"Yes it's an honor to meet you Mr. Ex-champion" He replied.

Red chuckled at this, even though he hadn't truly been champion for years, people still referred to him as such. "Is it true that the pokemon I'm looking for are here in the region?"

"Yes, we have confirmation that they are in the area and the Professor said that he would like to give you all the information we have at the lab."

Red smiled "_Just what I wanted to hear."_

The aide motioned to the parking lot "I have transportation standing by that can take you to the lab."

Red shook his head "If it's alright, I'd like to take the old fashion way home on foot."

The aide smiled "The professor thought you'd might say that!" He then presented Red with a bag.

"Here's some potions and other supplies."

Red bowed "Thank you very much!"

The aide then got in his car "Take care!" He waved as he drove away.

* * *

So, without hesitation Red began his journey home to Pallet Town. But it wasn't long before the areas started to feel unfamiliar to him; what were once lush green fields were now busy suburbs. But, he kept proceeding until he reached the outskirts of the city.

"_Wow...it really has been a long time, so much as changed since I left that I barely recognize Vermillion." _Red thought to himself.

He then spotted a nearby bench and decided it would be best if he took a minute to plan his route out.

As he pondered the best route, Red looked down to see Pikachu tugging on his leg.

"I know, I know, we'll go to Viridian and see Blue as soon as we can" Red assured pikachu as he took out his map.

"Let's see here…maybe it would be best if I take Route 6 instead of Diglettes Cave, it may be safer..." He thought to himself.

As Red happily continued to map out his route, little did he know, in the shadows, a figure was stalking him, waiting to strike!


	2. Chapter 2: Her Story

Chapter 2: Her Story

It was mid-day as the sun beat down on a lone figure in a black dress that was making her way along Route 6, on her head a small balloon like creature was perched along for the ride.

"It's so hot out today…." She groaned and looked up at her partner "Don't you think jigglypuff?"

Her pink partner looked down on her in agreement "Jiggly…."

"I'm sorry jigglypuff…..you knew that guy was bad news and I still…" The girl trailed off not wanting to finish that thought "I'm sorry…I just…thought things would be different this time….now look at the mess we're in…."

Jigglypuff smiled as it looked down at its friend and gently rubbed her head in reassurance "Jiggly! Jiggly!" It remarked, making the girl smile as well.

"You're right! We've been through worse this!" She stated and raised her head up proudly "Maybe today will be our lucky day!"

No sooner did she say that and the two companions caught sight of a city in the distance.

"Speaking of lucky; check it out! Vermillion City's straight ahead!"

The sight of the big city gave the girl confidence, but also reminded her of other things…. "Oh, I'm so hungry…." She moaned as her stomach started growling "What about you?"

"Jiggly…" her partner replied, rubbing its stomach with its stubby arms.

"Then it's settled!" The girl said while raising her fist in the air "As soon as we get to the city, we're getting something to eat!"

But a quick inspection of her pockets and she came a bad realization "Umm…jigglypuff…. we don't have any money…."

Jigglypuffs eyes narrowed at its partner and she narrowed hers right back.

"JIGGLY! JIGGLY!" Her jigglypuff yelled and the girl gritted her teeth.

"Hey! All the money we got from that last heist I spent on feeding you! I swear, you can be so ungratef-" She quickly bit her lip before she could say anything more "Sorry…..its just…how are we going to eat if we have no money?"

Her partner looked down with a smirk on its face "Jiggly….jiggly" It mischievously said while motioning to her.

"Steal it?" She asked as a smirk rolled over her face as well "That's the best idea I've heard all day!"

With that plan in mind, the duo then proceeded to walk into the city.

* * *

The streets were crowded and after walking a few blocks, the girl stopped to look around "This spot looks good enough!" She stated.

The two nodded to one another and without thinking jigglypuff suddenly fell on the ground.

Upon seeing this, the girl gasped and started shaking the unconscious pokemon "Oh my god! Oh my god!" She hysterically screamed "Somebody help! My pokemon's collapsed!"

Everyone on the street came over to see what was going on and within seconds a nurse joy and her chancey came running out of the pokemon centre with a stretcher.

"What happened over here?" She screamed to the girl in black.

"Nurse! Nurse!" The girl panicked and pointed to the collapsed jigglypuff "My pokemon must have collapsed from heat exhaustion please help her!"

The nurse joy quickly bent down and looked at the collapsed pokemon "Don't worry miss! Leave it to me!" She reassured and motioned for chancey to bring the stretcher over.

As this was all taking place, the girl spotted an empty food stand out of the corner of her eye and while everyone was preoccupied with the events that were happening, she slowly started backing up towards it "Oh thank you nurse! Thank you!" The girl said as she slowly made her way to the food stand and stuck her hand in where the food was stored.

"_Alright…..let's see what I can find here…."_ She thought as she rummaged through the stand.

Unfortunately, her rummaging was cut short when the stand owner saw what she was up to and yelled out "Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"

"_Oh great!"_ The girl thought as she quickly grabbed a loaf of bread and everyone in the crowd turned to see her running towards them.

"Jigglypuff! We're out of here now!"

The nurse joy was completely caught off guard as the unconscious pokemon suddenly opened its eyes and hopped on the girls shoulder as she ran past.

"Thief! Thief! Someone stop her!" The food stand owner yelled as the girl got away.

Unsure of where to go, the girl kept running through the busy streets of Vermillion until she heard a familiar noise coming behind her.

"_I know those sirens!"_

She quickly looked back to see 5 officer Jennies pursuing her on their motorcycles.

"_Great! It's the fuzz!"_ The girl thought as she pushed her way through the streets."_Well!_ _If they want us, they'll have to catch us first!"_

She ran and maneuvered as best she could but it wasn't long before the Jennies had her cornered by a house.

"Hold it right there!" They shouted as the lead one got off her motorcycle.

With nowhere to run, the girl slowly turned around "Alright girls….let's not get too hasty!" She said as she waved her hands in the air.

"I know you…." The lead Jenny growled as she summoned her arcanine "Your that girl from the wanted poster…Leaf Green is it?"

Upon hearing that, the girl named Leaf quickly raised her finger in the air "Uhh….that's Great Shadow Thief: Leaf Green, if you please." She slyly corrected the officer.

The lead Jenny narrowed her eyes "Whatever!" She dully noted and pointed at her "You and your pokemon are wanted for multiple thefts!"

Leaf and jigglypuff sarcastically looked at one another "All we did was steal a loaf of BREAA-" She was cut off as the jenny's arcanine shot a warning flamethrower next to her "Hey! Haven't you ever heard the saying **gotta steal to eat/gotta eat to steal**?"

The lead Jenny shook her head "SILENCE!" She yelled, tired of this banter "There's nowhere for you to run! Now, surrender and come with us or we'll use force!"

Leaf looked over at the burn mark left by arcanines flamethrower and then at the 5 Jennies surrounding her "_I think things are getting a little too hot around here for me…." _She thought as she tilted her head down and a smirk formed on her face.

"Sorry girls….it was a good try…." Leaf muttered and the Jennies backed up in fear as she looked up full of confidence "But….you're going to have to do better than that if you're going to capture the Great Shadow Thief: LEAF GREEN!"

She then quickly her partner "Jigglypuff inflate now! She ordered and grabbed on to jigglypuffs feet.

At Leafs command, Jigglypuff inflated twice its size "Ciao ladies!" She called out as the duo began to float into the sky.

As they watched the two fly away, the lead Jenny yelled out to the others "What are you doing?! They're getting away!" She screamed "Arcanine! Use flamethrower and stop them!"

But it was too late; the duo were far beyond their reach and were currently floating just outside of the city.

* * *

"Nice work partner!" Leaf called out to jigglypuff with a smile on her face "We'll share the spoils together!"

However, no sooner did Leaf say that and her hand hit the branch of the tree causing her to drop the loaf of bread "Oh No!" Leaf screamed as she tried to reach out and grab it, but it was too late.

"Jiggly!" Jigglypuff cried out as it watched the loaf of bread fall to the ground. It was about to descend when it heard Leaf say "Leave it…." She called out to the pink pokemon "If we land now…..we'll be captured for sure…"

"Jiggly….." Jigglypuff whispered and sadly looked down at Leaf, knowing how hungry she was.

The two kept flying until they were sure they were a fair distance from Vermillion.

"Let's land over there Jigglypuff!" Leaf said pointing to a clearing along Route 11.

The duo landed softly and Leaf looked down on her partner "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to screw it up….." Leaf sighed as she petted jigglypuffs head "If we could only find a way to make some money…"

"Jiggly….." It replied, trying to assure her it wasn't her fault, when suddenly its eyes widened with intrigue "JIGGLY! JIGGLY!" It yelled to Leaf and pointed behind her.

"What's up Jigglypuff?" Leaf asked as she looked behind her as well.

Upon turning around, Leafs eyes narrowed as she spotted a boy with a red cap, sitting on a nearby bench, reading a map "_Jackpot! This day may not be a bust after all!" _She thought as she began to creep towards her unsuspecting victim.


	3. Chapter 3: They Meet

Chapter 3: They Meet

The sun beat down on the streets just outside of Vermillion, as Red continued to map out his route back to Pallet Town.

Unbeknownst to him, Leaf and her small pink partner were silently creeping closer to him by the second.

Fortunately for Leaf, there was a wooded area behind the bench Red was sitting at and it made for excellent cover.

The shadowy duo were just a few feet away from their target, when Leaf suddenly placed her finger over her mouth and whispered to her partner. "Alright, I'm going to go for his bag, you stay here."

Upon looking up, Leaf couldn't help but notice the boys yellow partner perched on his shoulder and looked back down.

"On second thought, Jigglypuff…" Leaf pondered as she turned to her pink partner "Think you could handle that Pikachu for me?"

Jigglypuff looked at Leaf and gave her a reassuring nod, before turning its gaze back to its unsuspecting victim.

* * *

Bored from watching Red map out his route, Pikachu was peacefully resting on its masters shoulder when suddenly, its ears perked up from a noise coming from the woods.

"Pika! Pika!" It shouted as it started to tug on Reds shoulder.

"Yeah buddy? What do you need?" Red asked as he looked up at his partner.

Pikachu worryingly pointed to the woods and Red curiously looked over as well.

"I don't see anything pikachu. Maybe you're just hearing things?"

Pikachu shook its head and jumped off Reds shoulder.

"Pika! Pika!" It yelled as it pointed to the woods.

Red had no idea what pikachu was getting at and waved it off "Sure….go investigate if it will make you feel better." He replied as he turned back to his map.

* * *

As pikachu entered the woods, it encountered a jigglypuff on the lying on the ground.

"Jiggly…." It whimpered as it looked at the mouse pokemon.

Always one to help, pikachu ran over to the pokemon which appeared to have twisted its foot.

Pikachu was about to go get Red to help it, when the pink pokemon suddenly sprung to its feet and started singing.

Pikachu wanted to say something, but the soothing melody made its eyes grow heavy and before it knew it, it was asleep.

"Great job as always jigglypuff!" Leaf whispered as she crawled out from behind some bushes "Now it's my turn!"

She got in a crawling position and slowly snuck herself closer until she reached her target, the boy's bag.

"_Alright let's see what we got here….." _Leaf thought as she opened Reds bag.

As she quickly rummaged through the bag, Leafs eyes widened as she came upon a case full of badges.

"_Oh my God! The mother load!"_Leaf thought as all the badges sparkled in her eyes.

However, before Leaf took any badges, she stopped to think about the situation.

"_I think…it would be too obvious if I took the all of them…." _Leaf thought as she started to hesitate "_M-maybe…..I should just take a couple, then he won't suspect anything…_"

She quickly grabbed two badges in her hand and was just about to turn around when she felt someone grab her wrist and shout "What do you think you're doing!"

Leaf didn't have any time to react as she was spun around and ended up meeting her victim face to face.

"Hey" she winced as they locked eyes with one another "What's the big idea? Grabbing a lady like that!"

Red looked up at her closed fist "What's in your hand?"

Leaf panicked "Nothing at all!"

"Well why don't you open it then?" Red stated as he tightened his grip on her hand, causing Leaf to drop the badges.

The two watched the badges fall to the ground and Red looked back up to see the girls eyes darting from side to side.

"They…..uh….just fell out of your bag! I…..was just picking them up for you!" Leaf coyly tried explained to him.

Red cocked an eyebrow knowing full well how dumb of a lie that was "Oh really? What did they just jump out of their case?" He sarcastically replied.

Leafs eyes darted faster as she tried to escape the boys icy glare "Umm….do you mind letting me go? You're really close to me right now…"

The two hadn't noticed, but there was only an inch of space between them causing them both to turn red in the face.

Reds eyes widened "Uhh…sorry!" He embarrassingly stated as he backed away.

Just then, the two heard the sound of sirens coming towards them.

Without thinking, Leaf dove into the nearby bushes and Red, dumbfounded at what he just witnessed, stood there as 5 officer Jennies pulled up in front of him.

"You there!" One shouted "Can we speak with you for a minute?"

Red looked down at the bushes and saw the terrified girl looking up at him.

"Oh boy…." He sighed as he started to walk towards the officers.

"What can I do for you ladies on this fine day?"

One of the Jennies tapped the lead ones shoulder "Hey, isn't that Red the champion?"

Leaf, who was still crouched in the bushes, couldn't help but overhear and widened her eyes at that statement.

"_I was trying to steal from the champion?" _She frightfully thought to herself _"Oh Leaf! You're really in for it this time!"_

Red shook his head at the officers "Ex-champion! I'm not the champion anymore okay….." He sighed.

"Anyway, what can I do for you?"

One of the Jennies reached into her pocket and handed him a picture.

"Just recently, there was a theft in Vermillion City and we believe the culprit came this way, have you seen her?"

Red looked at the picture and sure enough it was a hastily drawn image of the girl who had just tried to rob him.

As Red stared at the picture, his mind began to wander "_I'm not happy with that girl for trying to steal my badges…." _He thought to himself _"But…. is jail the best solution? Perhaps there's a better way….._"

Red then looked up and shrugged "Sorry officer, I haven't seen her, maybe she took another route?"

The Jennies looked at each other disappointed "Well she did fly away…." One stated "If she did take another route…..we'd never catch her now!"

Tired and defeated from the chase, the five officers got on their bikes.

"Sorry I couldn't be more help!" Red shouted out to them and pointed to the picture he was given "Is it alright if I keep this picture?"

"Sure! It was an honor to meet you champion!" The lead Jenny waved as she revved up her bike.

Red gritted his teeth in frustration "Hey! That's EX-CHAMPION!" He shouted as they rode away.

* * *

He stood in silence, waiting for the officers to be out of sight, before calling out "Alright! You can come out now!"

No sooner did he say that and out of the bushes came the girl in the black dress, a jigglypuff and in her arms was his sleeping partner.

"Here, he's just sleeping." Leaf said as she handed the sleeping pikachu over to its trainer.

Reds eyes went wide "I was wondering he went!"

The two stood in silence for a minute before Leaf finally broke the ice "So….you're the champion huh?"

Red rolled his eyes "How many times do I have to say it?! EX-CHAMPION!"

Leaf giggled to herself "Well I don't know whether to call you my saviour or the stupidest man I've ever met!" She stated as she put her hands on her hips "You have a convicted felon cornered and you DON'T turn her in?"

Red looked at the picture the officer gave him and held it up to her face "Leaf Green? Is this you?" He asked.

Leaf eyes went wide as she looked at the terrible drawing of her "What is this? This looks nothing like me! " She yelled and immediately snatched the picture out of his hand "And that's Great Shadow Thief Leaf Green to you mister!"

Red shook his head and smiled as he looked her up and down "Oh…I agree; you're definitely much prettier in person."

Leaf turned a shade of red herself "_Did this guy just make a pass at me?"_ She thought as she rubbed her wrist where Red had grabbed her.

"So do you violently grab every pretty girl you meet?"

Red crossed his arms "Well it's not every day I get mugged!"

"Well it's not every day I get caught!" She shot right back at him.

The two glared at one another for a few seconds, before Leaf calmly closed her eyes "Your name's Red right?" she asked.

"Yes that's right…." He replied, not knowing what she was getting at.

Leaf scratched the back of her head and laughed "I guess you could say….I was caught **RED** handed!"

Red slapped his forehead "_Really….REALLY? Of all things to say!" _He sarcastically thought to himself before crossing his arms.

"Now…." Red said with a sly smirk on his face "The question is….what do I do with you? I'm sure the police will pay me handsomely for your capture!"

Leaf froze in place "You can't be serious!"

Red tilted his hat down and smiled, he had already thought long and hard about what to do with this girl and it was time to ask her.

"Listen…" He started "I won't go running to the cops, but in return you have to do me a favor."

Leaf narrowed her eyes "_Brace yourself Leaf! He's probably going to ask you for sex or something!_"

Red took a deep breath "I want you to be my companion and travel with me on my mission."

Leaf stood dumbfounded at what she just heard "What?"

Red leaned forward "You see… I don't like traveling alone on my journeys, I've always had someone to travel with and well…..being a thief…I don't think have any pressing matters you have to worry about right now…."

Leaf stood in shock "Are you….blackmailing me to travel with you?!"

Red chuckled "You say it like it's such a bad thing, let's not forget who the thief is here!" He sassed back.

Leaf rubbed her chin in thought "Well… if it's ok, I'd like to discuss it with my partner here." She said as she motioned to her little balloon shaped partner beside her.

"Sure go ahead, I'm in no rush." Red shrugged as he watched Leaf picked up her jigglypuff and walk a few feet away.

"Well what do you think Jigglypuff?" Leaf asked as she put jigglypuff down "It's not like we really have anywhere else to go and….he seems like a nice guy."

"Jiggly!" It replied and Leaf leaned down to its level.

"And… if he IS the former champion…." Leaf quietly whispered in her partners ear "He's bound to have some good stuff for us to loot!"

The two smirked at one another and gave each other a quick high five before walking back to Red, who was waiting with his recently awaken Pikachu.

"So..."

Leaf held out her hand "Partners?"

Red smiled and grabbed her hand in response "Partners!" He replied.

Before Leaf could let go, Red suddenly tightened his grip and pulled her in close "And remember! No funny business like stealing anything from me!" He harshly whispered in her ear.

Leaf seductively looked over and smirked at him "Right back at ya…champ"! She whispered back and gave Red a wink.

Caught off guard, Red began to blush; he couldn't deny that Leaf was quite attractive.

Now completely flustered, Red cleared his throat "Umm…well then, I was going to walk back to Pallet from here, but we'd might as well take the fast way!"

Just then, Red took a pokeball out of his bag "Come out Charizard!" He shouted.

Leafs eyes widened in awe as she watched the fiery dragon pokemon get summoned and Red jump on its back.

"Hop on Leaf!" Red excitedly stated as he extended his hand to her "Our adventure's about to get underway!"

Leaf nodded as she grabbed Reds hand "Right!" She said as he pulled her up.

As she got up on the fire dragons back, Leaf nervously looked around "You…know…this is a bit different flying then I'm used to…"

Red chuckled to himself "Oh! Don't worry, you'll get used to it Leaf! You're with me now!" Red replied as the new duo rose into the air towards their next destination.

"Here we go!"


	4. Chapter 4: The Return Home

Chapter 4: The Return Home

The sun was setting as a giant fire dragon, with two wayward individuals on its back, descended from the sky onto the streets of the peaceful town of Pallet.

As he dismounted, Red took a minute to look around at the town he once called home and took a deep breath "_After all these years….__I'm finally back!" _He thought as he watched his new companion dismount as well.

"Hey!" He called out to Leaf, who currently had her head between her legs "You okay over there Ms. Great Thief?"

Leaf narrowed her eyes as she looked up at him "That's….Great….Shadow….Thief and don't you forget it!" She panted as she tried to catch her breath "And yeah! Just never flew that fast before!"

Red laughed as he patted her shoulder "Don't worry you'll get used to it!" He reassured her and pointed towards a large building not far away "Come on! I need to stop by Professor Oaks lab first, he has information crucial to my mission and once we do that, we can relax."

However, just as Red began to walk over to the lab, he was forcefully stopped "Wait Red! I-I don't think it would be a great idea if I went in with you…." Leaf said as she grabbed his shoulder.

Red looked puzzled "Why not?" He asked "Granted…I know Oak can be a bit eccentric at times, but still…."

Leaf looked away and started twiddling her fingers "I mighta…sorta…kinda…stole from here once before…."

"Oh…." Red muttered as he stressfully rubbed his temple "Well….did anyone see you when did?"

"DID ANYONE SEE M-" Leaf stopped mid-sentence and put her hands on her hips "I don't call myself the Great SHADOW Thief because I allow people to see me! I always operate under the cover of darkness!"

"GOOD!" Red stated as he grabbed her wrist "That means nobody saw you and you're coming in with me!"

"Hey! NO! That's not what I meant!" Leaf yelled as Red pulled her into the lab with him.

* * *

The lab definitely looked more high tech then Red remembered it. Then again, there had been many technological advancements and discoveries since he was here last. And low and behold, at the end of the hall stood Professor Oak, white lab coat and all.

To Red, Professor Oak was almost like a second father to him and he was ecstatic when he saw him again.

"Professor!" Red called out as he ran towards the old man and shook his hand "It's so good to see you again!"

"Red!" The professor greeted and shook his hand back "I thought my aide said you were walking to Pallet and wouldn't be here for a while."

Red nervously scratched the back of his head "Well…I was…but…there's been a change of plans." He then stepped aside to reveal his new partner "Leaf, this is Professor Samuel Oak, head of pokemon research here in Kanto!"

"Yes…but everyone around here calls me the pokemon professor!" Professor Oak noted as he walked towards Leaf and extended his hand "It's nice to meet you young lady!"

As he walked closer, Leaf's eyes viciously darted from side to side as she did her best to act casual "Umm hi….it's nice to meet you too." She shyly replied and extended her hand as well.

As they shook hands, Professor Oak tilted his head in thought "It's strange…I swear I've heard the name Leaf befo-"

"Well it's a really popular name!" Leaf immediately chimed in, trying to change the subject "After all, all the trees are full of them!"

Everyone in the facility laughed at her joke, except Red, who face palmed and slowly walked up to her "See they don't know who you are!" He whispered in her ear as he passed by.

"Anyway, Professor I believe you want this!" Red said as he pulled a square device from his pocket and handed it to him "I've recorded data on all the pokemon from the all the different regions, I just need a few more to finish it and you know the ones I'm looking for right?"

Oak nodded "The mystic birds right?"

Leafs eyes widened as she heard what Professor Oak said "The mystic birds?" She yelled, turning to Red in awe.

"That's right!" Red replied as he looked back at her "You know them?"

"Well, I know of them…." Leaf said as she started to count on her fingers "Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres! But I thought they were….well as the name implies….a legend….a fairy tale….."

"No my dear…." Oak reassured her "They do indeed exist and-"

"And I would have caught them too if I didn't get so distracted last time!" Red noted as he tilted his hat over his eyes.

"Now Red, there's no need to eat yourself up about that." Oak tried to console him, but Red narrowed his eyes as his frustration grew.

"If I wasn't so focused on winning the league my first time, I would have caught them before they disappeared from this region!" He belittled himself "Then, after traveling through various regions, I finally discovered they were in Kalos, but the temptation of winning another league made me miss my chance again!"

Oak shook his head "Red, it's alright you've done a phenomenal job filling out the pokedex." He exclaimed, trying to calm the boy down "And don't worry, you'll find the mystic birds this time for sure!"

Red lowered his head again "Yeah, but it could have been done already and then…..I could finally put….it….to rest…"

"Red…." Oak whispered as he placed a hand on his shoulder "Your mother's proud of you, no matter what the outcome and you know it…."

Upon hearing that, Red slowly nodded and the professor handed him some papers "Here, these are the locations that the birds have been spotted in recently and don't worry this is their home turf, they won't be going anywhere anytime soon!"

Red smiled "Thank you!" He said as he looked over the papers "For everything….."

"No I should be thanking you! It's the least I could do for all the help you've been with the pokedex." Oak replied and then turned to Leaf "As for you young lady…..I assume Red's going to show you how to become a pokemon trainer."

"Umm..N-no!' Leaf hesitantly replied "Red invited me to travel with him; I have no intentions of becoming a trainer."

"I see…. well…regardless, you shouldn't travel without a pokemon partner." Oak noted as he motioned to the table behind him "Here! Feel free to choose one of these starter pokemon I have here and-"

"I already have an inseparable partner, thank you very much!" Leaf sternly retorted "And if I ever do plan on getting another pokemon, I plan to catch it, not have it given to me!"

Oak was a bit shocked at her tone. "Fair…enough…" He slowly replied, no one had ever refused to take a pokemon from him before "Well…I wish you two the best of luck on your journey!"

Red curiously raised his eyebrows at Leaf before waving goodbye to Professor Oak "Take care professor! We won't let you down!" He said as they walked away.

* * *

Upon walking outside, Red watched as jigglypuff happily jumped into Leafs arms "Jigglypuff's really special to you, isn't it Leaf?" He noted as he watched the two hug one another.

"Yeah…." Leaf replied as she looked down at her pink partner "Jigglypuff and I have been through a lot together…..more than you can imagine….."

Jigglypuff looked up at Leaf and smiled "Jiggly…." It said as it listened to her continue.

"We've had some hard times…." Leaf noted "But we've always stayed true to each other!"

"Yeah…" Red muttered as he looked over at his pikachu "I know what that's like believe me…."

The two stood in silence for a few minutes before Red spoke up "It's getting late…" He said as he watched the sun set "We should head over to my house, it's not far."

"Okay!" Leaf excitedly said as she placed jigglypuff on her shoulder "_I wonder what kind of house this EX-champion has!" _She mischievously thought to herself as they headed towards the outskirts of Pallet.

After a good couple minutes of walking, Red finally stopped in front of a small, white, 2-storey house. "Well here we are!" He announced as he opened the door to reveal a quaint little living space.

"It's not much…." He explained as he put his coat down "There's a living room, kitchen and upstairs there are 2 bedrooms and a bathroom."

Leaf looked around the house in awe "You know, for a house you haven't lived in in years, it's really well kept." She stated as she walked around.

Red chuckled "Well, I have a friend that I pay to keep it looking nice!" He explained to her "….even if said friend doesn't want to."

"Must be a really good friend!" Leaf noted as Red continued to show her around.

He then lead Leaf upstairs and opened the doors to one of the bedrooms "Here, you and jigglypuff can have this room."

Leaf was speechless at the sight before her; the bed looked so comfortable "Umm…thank you…" She said as Red turned around and walked back downstairs.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to head to the market to get some food." Red said as he put his coat back on "Feel to get settled in!"

"Alright take your time!" Leaf waved to him and he walked out the door.

* * *

The sun was still setting as Red made his way through Pallet town. _"I wonder what I should make for us tonight?"_ He thought made his way down the road.

He was about half way to the market when he suddenly stopped and slapped his head "_How stupid am I? I just left a thief alone in my house!_"

As soon as Red left, Leaf decided there would be no better time to check the place out _"Ok, let's see what kind of goods this champion's got on him!" __She thought as she went into full thief mode._

She then assumed a crouching position and tip-toed from room to room checking out dressers and drawers until she finally thought to herself "_Alright Leaf….why are you doing this? A) No one's here and B) Your living here now so there's no point in stealing anything__!" She then froze in place as the thought sunk in __"…living here….." _

Leaf then placed her hands on her head "_Argh! This is so bizarre for me!_" She thought as she shook her head "_I can't afford to get used to this place! Why does he care?! He's probably just going to have his way with me and throw me out once this blackmail ordeal's over anyway!_"

Leaf then looked up at the mirror on the dresser and saw that her hair was now a complete mess from shaking it too much "Oh great…." She mumbled as she tried to fix it "_Why do I even care what I look like? I'm not trying to impress him!_"

After fixing herself up, Leaf decided it would be best to finish checking out the other rooms in the house "_Ok!" __Leaf excitedly thought as she turned the handle on the door next to her room__"__Let's see what's behind door number 3 and…HELLO SHOWER!" _

* * *

About 20 minutes later Red finally returned with groceries in hand.

"_Well that's cute!"__ He thought as he walked into the living room__"__Both pikachu and jigglypuff are both asleep on the couch…and Leaf…." _He trailed off as he looked around _"….is nowhere to be found…great….." _

Red then brought the groceries into the kitchen "Hey Leaf! Where are you?!" He called out as he began to unload everything.

"I'm upstairs Red!" A voice called back "I'll be right down!"

Within a few minutes, down the stairs descended Leaf, looking a lot wetter then he saw her last.

"What were you doing?"

Leaf pointed to her wet hair "What does it look like genius? I was using your shower!" She sarcastically replied.

Red shook his head "Why didn't you dry yourself off before putting your clothes back on?" He asked as he stared at her and Leaf noticed it.

"H-hey! Don't stare at me like that!" She yelled as a blush formed on her face "H-how else am I supposed to dry myself off?!"

Red raised his eyebrows at her "Leaf….you do know I have towels in the cupboard right?"

Leaf put her hand on her mouth in shock "Oh my god really?!" She yelled and immediately ran back up the stairs "I'll be right back!"

Red couldn't help but laugh at her misfortune and continued setting the table.

A few minutes later, Leaf came running back down the stairs "Ok, it's all dry now so you can stop wor-" Her words were cut off by the shock of the amount of food she saw in front of her "Oh my god…."

"Here…" Red said as he motioned to the table "I prepared this for you."

Leaf quivered as she slowly sat down in her chair and overlooked the enormous feast before her "_I…I….couldn't even eat a loaf of bread earlier today and now…_"

Red watched as she slowly reached out to grab some food, only to drop her hand on the table and sadly look down at her feet "What's wrong? Aren't you hungry?" He asked out of concern.

Leafs voice shook "Believe me…I am hungry….so hungry…." She muttered as she continued to look down at the floor "It's just…..I've never been presented with this much food before and….I don't know even where to start…..it all looks so good…."

She then looked up as she felt Reds hand on her shoulder "Well let's take it one step at a time! What do you want the most?" He sweetly asked her.

"Honestly..." Leaf whispered as she looked over the spread before her "After what happened to me today, I'd really like some bread…."

Red then grabbed a slice of the fresh loaf he brought and cut her a piece "Sure! Enjoy it!"

Leaf graciously accepted the piece of bread from Reds hand and her mouth began salivating as she bit into it "Oh my god …." She stated as she savored every bite. For Leaf, it had been so long since she had a proper meal and her eyes watered as she finished the piece of bread "That was so good Red…."

"I'm glad you liked it!" Red said as he knelt down to her level and smiled at her "Now…what would you like next?"

* * *

After a few hours Red and Leaf finally finished their meal and as Red was cleaning up, Leaf decided to pipe up "Hey Red, I was wondering…that picture in my room….is that your mom?"

Upon hearing that, Red stopped washing the dishes and looked up "Yeah….that room was hers..a long time ago…"

"Oh…so she's…"

Red nodded "Passed on, yes." He said as he sadly looked down at the floor.

Leaf looked down as well "I see….sorry to bring it up…"

"It's ok…" Red whispered as he finished putting the dishes away "It was a long time ago…"

Before Leaf could inquire any further, the clock started to chime 9 bells.

"It's pretty late…" Red noted as he looked over at the clock "You should get some rest, we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

Leaf smiled "Alright Red, I'll see you tomorrow!" She said before nervously rubbing the back of her head "Umm….thank you for the meal….and giving me a place to sleep…."

Red chuckled "Anything for my new traveling companion!" He stated and smiled back "See you tomorrow!"

"_Right…..traveling companion….that's all I am…._" Leaf sadly thought as she made her way upstairs.

**A Few Hours Later…..**

* * *

Truth be told, despite the bed being a lot more comfortable than anything she had slept on in years, Leaf was not ok. For hours she tossed and turned, but just couldn't fall asleep.

"_It's no use! I'm just not used to sleeping in a bed like this!" _

She turned and looked at the clock to find it was only midnight "_That does it! I need to get up and move around or I'll never fall asleep."__ She finally decided for herself._

As she made her way downstairs she saw that the light on the porch was still on and went to investigate. Upon further investigation, Leaf saw that Red was still up and standing outside on the porch all alone.

"Hey, can't you sleep?" He suddenly called out to her, making her jump in surprise.

"N-no, can't you?" She asked him, but he didn't turn around.

Leaf took a deep breath as she stepped outside "After all these years of sleeping on the streets, sleeping on a bed feels so foreign to me…." She said as she leaned up against the porch right beside him "Are you still thinking about your mom?"

Red nodded "I thought all the years of me being away from this place would make me forget about her…." He noted as he crossed his arms and put his head down "But even right now it feels like she'll be coming home any minute now to say goodnight to me…."

Red then proceeded to stretch out and looked at the sky "See…when I was little my father went missing while on a pokemon journey and mom and I were left alone. Not long after she came down with an illness that was said to be incurable."

Leaf sadly looked over at him "Incurable?!"

Red nodded "Yes.. ..she fought it for many years until one day….she just couldn't fight it anymore. I still remember her last words to me were that it would make her proud to see me become a pokemon trainer and finally complete the pokedex…..to do what my father couldn't…."

"And that's why you're so adamant on completing the pokedex huh?" Leaf whispered to him.

Red sighed deeply "I have to Leaf; it's the only way to finally put it all behind me…" He admitted as he returned his gaze to the sky "Going to different regions, meeting new people, competing in leagues, winning championships; yeah it was all for the experiences…"

Leaf watched as Red started to tear up "But to be completely honest with you, I think…more so than anything, it was so I could put the past behind me."

"…and that's why you keep adventuring huh?"

Red slowly nodded and looked over as he felt Leafs hand rub his shoulder

"Hey, at least you have parents to mourn…." She whispered to him and looked into the sky as well "All I ever known….my whole life….was the streets and the only true friend I ever had was jigglypuff….."

"I can't imagine how hard that was…."

Leaf shrugged "I did what I had to in order to live…." She admitted and looked over at Red "So don't worry Red, everything going to be okay….I promise."

Red watched as a sweet smile formed on her face and he panicked as he felt his face going flush "Y-yeah…you're right Leaf." He said, wiping the tears from his eyes.

Upon regaining his composure, Reds eyes widened as a thought popped in his head "That reminds me Leaf!" He said as he quickly ran back into the house "There are some items I wanted to give you before we left tomorrow!"

Red then came running back out with a bunch of items in his arms and presented Leaf with a strange cylindrical device "This is a PokeNav, it goes on your arm; it has a phone, map, radio, everything you need on it!" Red explained as he pointed out the various features "If we ever get separated you can just call me and I'll come find you with this!"

Leaf looked puzzled "Umm you'll have to show me how it works, I'm not too good with technology." She admitted.

Red then presented Leaf with a bag "And here are some pokeballs….you know…..just in case you ever wanna…."

Leaf took the bag but protested "Red I told you before; I don't want to be a trainer!"

"I know! I know!" Red replied and scratched the back of his head "But…you never know…."

Leaf sighed "Well…we'll see…" She said and started yawning "Come Red...it's really late, we should get some rest."

Red nodded as he started yawning as well "Yeah, we've got a lot of traveling to do tomorrow!" He stated as they walked back inside.

Upon making it to his room, Red turned around "Good night Leaf…." He said to her and shut his door behind him.

"Goodnight….Red." Leaf responded as she did the same and this time she actually fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5: Viridian Revelations

Chapter 5: Viridian Revelations

As the morning sun rose over the town of Pallet, Red and Leaf started their journey towards the city of Viridian. They were a few miles outside of the city, when Red realized that his companion had stopped and was staring longingly at a branching route.

"Hey Leaf, what's up?" He asked out of concern.

Leaf looked like she was just brought out of a day-dream "Huh?" She gasped as she quickly looked over at him "Red…..do you know what's down this route?"

Red scratched his head "Umm…Leaf? You do remember I haven't been here in years right?" He explained as he looked down the path.

From what he could see, the path was all windy and seemed to lead into a dense forest "Last I remember….the only thing down that's down this route is an old abandoned mansion." He noted as he rubbed his temple in thought "But for all I know….it's probably gone by now."

Leaf lowered her eyes to the ground "I see…"

"Umm…do you want to check it out?" Red asked, seeing that Leaf was clearly bothered by it "I'm in no rush to get to Viridian."

Leaf shook her head "N-no it's alright…." She mumbled as she started walking away "Just forget about it…"

Not wanting to get her upset, Red decided it would be best to drop the subject, but he couldn't deny that he was curious what was down that path as well.

As the two continued to walk along the path, Leaf turned to Red and asked "So…why are we going to Viridian City again?"

"We're going to see an old friend of mine." Red explained "Even though we still keep in contact; this will be our first time seeing each other again in years!"

Leaf raised her eyebrows "Oh what's he like?" She asked out of curiosity and watched as Red proceeded to roll his eyes.

"Oh….he's…..unique in his own way…." He chuckled to himself and Leaf couldn't help but giggle as well.

The two continued to chat with one another and it wasn't long before they reached their destination.

* * *

In the years since Red had left, Viridian city had grown exponentially in size. Most of the Viridian forest was removed and the city was now bustling with people.

"_Wow…I barely recognize this place…._" Red thought as he and Leaf stopped just outside of the city.

"Alright Leaf; I'm going to head over to the gym." He explained as he pointed in the direction of the gym "Feel free to go browse around for a while until I get back okay?"

Leaf looked shocked "Huh? Why? I wanna meet your friend too!" She pouted, but Red defiantly shook his head.

"You will….but not right now…." He nervously replied.

"Why, not?"

Red sighed as he worryingly looked towards the gym "Cause I don't know how happy he's going to be to see me…."

As such, Leaf stomped the ground in frustration "Fine!" She yelled. But, before she could start walking away, Red quickly grabbed her hand.

"Leaf, promise me you won't steal anything while we're here!"

A sad expression formed on Leafs face "Aww your no fun Red!" She pouted, but Red was serious and narrowed his eyes.

"PROMISE ME!"

"I PROMISE!" She winked and ran off.

"Hey! What are you 5?!" Red yelled back and sighed in defeat "_Why do I bother? She can't hear me anyway!_" Red thought as he looked towards the Viridian Gym.

"_Well, here we go…."_

* * *

Despite all the changes in the city, it didn't take long for Red to find his way to the gym as it was one of the biggest buildings in the city.

As they stood before the giant steel doors of the gym, Red and pikachu gave one another a sarcastic glance "_Wow Blue, over compensating much with these doors?"_ Red thought as he spotted a note hanging on the door which read:

**All Pathetic Trainers Who Wish To Challenge The Viridian Gym, Press The Intercom So We Can Get This Over With!**"

Red had to blink a few times to comprehend what he just read "_Yeah… now I KNOW he's compensating for something!" _He sarcastically thought to himself._  
_

Against his better judgement, Red buzzed the intercom and within seconds a voiced yelled out to him "Go away! I've had enough weak trainers for one day!"

Red raised his eyebrows as he calmly replied "Okay….and what about very old friends?"

The intercom immediately went silent and Red could hear the increasingly loud sound of footsteps running towards the door.

Without warning, the steel doors of the Viridian Gym opened and in the doorway stood his orange spikey haired childhood friend "What the hell are you doing here?!" He stated with his arms crossed.

Red shook his head at the rude introduction "You know Blue…normally people say** nice to see you again** when they see friends they haven't seen in years…..maybe you should try it!"

Blue narrowed his eyes and as he proceeded to walk towards him, Red noticed that Blue had his fist at the ready.

As such, Red put his hands up in defense and closed his eyes as Blue raised his fist towards him…..only to hug him instead.

"Wha-HEY!" Red gasped as his friend patted his back.

"How the heck are you doing Red?" Blue asked as he released Red from his hug "Last I heard, you were out floundering around the Kalos region!"

Red shrugged "Hey! If I want fill the pokedex, I gotta go where the pokemon are!" He noted as Blue snickered at him.

"So I assume you winning the Kalos league was all part of filling out the pokedex too?"

Upon hearing that, Red nervously scratched his head "H-hey! So I got a little side tracked while on, my last journey! So what?!"

They both laughed and Blue turned to Reds little partner "And how you doing Pikachu? Still hanging around with this guy?"

"Pika!" Pikachu happily replied as it nuzzled Reds head.

Red breathed a sigh of relief as he watched this all unfold, he was sure Blue would still be upset with him after what happened to them in the past, but it seemed like Blue was really happy to see him.

"Hey Red!" Blue called out and motioned them to come inside the gym "Come on in! Tell me what's been going on in your life!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Leaf and jigglypuff were wandering about the crowded streets of Viridian City, wondering what to do until Red got back.

"Ugh! That….Red!" Leaf pouted as she kicked the ground "How am I supposed to be the Great Shadow Thief: Leaf Green, if I can't even do what my title says?"

Upon hearing that, jigglypuff, who was perched on her head, puffed up and hit Leaf in the head.

"Oww! What was that for?" She yelled at her pink partner.

As Leaf rubbed her temple, jigglypuff leapt in front of her and crossed its arms "Jiggly! Jiggly!" It yelled back at her.

Leaf sighed, realizing how stupid she was. After all Red had done for her, she knew she had no right to complain and bent down to her partners level.

"Your right, Red's done so much for us, the least I could do is grant him this one simple favor…"

A smile formed on jigglypuffs face "Jiggly! Jiggly!" It happily replied and jumped back up on Leafs head.

"Thanks jigglypuff…." Leaf whispered as they continued walking through the city.

The two were now at the shopping district of the city and as they walked amongst the stores, something caught Leafs eye. Not far down the street was a small boutique store with a bunch of outfits in it "_Oh wow…."_ She thought as she gazed through the window at all the outfits "_They're so beautiful….._"

* * *

Within the walls of the Viridian gym, Red had just finished explaining to Blue his objective.

"The mystic birds huh..." Blue pondered as Red finished explaining.

"Yeah! Are you surprised to hear they're back in Kanto?"

Blue closed his eyes "I'm more surprised that Grandpa didn't tell me you were here looking for them!"

"And I'm glad he didn't! Cause you probably would have kept the doors locked!" Red shot back.

The two couldn't help but laugh at one another; they were having a great time.

"Actually…t-that's not the only thing that's changed…." Red stuttered as he thought of Leaf "Y-you see I have this new traveling companion-"

"Oh-no! Not more traveling companions Red!" Blue stated as he rubbed his temple "Who is it this time?"

Red nervously scratched his head as he tried to form his words "W-well it's this….girl I met when I came back to the region…."

"Figures!" Blue grunted as he watched Red sweat buckets "So…what? Is she, a new trainer that you're teaching?"

Red shook his head and looked down at the ground, he couldn't tell Blue she was a thief that tried to steal his badges "N-no she…she doesn't want to be a trainer…" Red continued to stutter causing a smirk to form on Blues face.

"But you want her to be a trainer…don't ya?!" Blue teased and nudged Red in the side.

"Umm…well…I…."

As Blue watched Red fidget around, it all started to become clear to him "What? Don't tell me you like this girl Red?!"

Red started fidgeting even more "N-no! T-that's not it!"

"It all makes sense!" Blue stated as he slapped his forehead "That's why you want her to be a trainer! You want to make her just like you!"

Red looked away "Oh would you shut up!" He yelled as he felt his face going flush.

Blue leaned back in chair "For crying out loud Red! I haven't even met this chick yet and I can tell you're completely head over heels for her!"

"I am not!" Red quickly shot back "I just...want what's best for her that's all!"

Blue flashed him a cocky smile "Well lover boy….because we go way back and since we're such good friends, I'm going to help you out!"

Red buried his head in his hands, knowing full well what that meant "Oh no! What are you going to do?"

Blue confidently crossed his arms "Simple! You want this girl to be a trainer so bad? Just give me 5 minutes with her and I'll have her begging to be a trainer!"

Red looked up at him in awe "Y-you can do that?"

"Worked on you didn't it?" Blue proudly exclaimed as he pointed at Red "And look at you now!"

"_I hate to admit it…but he's right…._" Red reluctantly thought to himself "_Maybe he_ _can make Leaf change her mind about being a trainer..."_

With his mind made up, Red got out of his chair "Come on! Let's go meet her then!" He said as he and Blue walked towards the door.

* * *

Once the two made their way out of the gym, they began to look around.

"Alright Red where is she?" Blue asked as he watched Red scan the area.

"Hang on…" Red muttered as they walked around "There!" He yelled, pointing towards the boutique shop.

Blue raised his eyebrows as he looked in the direction Red was pointing at "Which one?" He slyly asked, causing his friend to smack him upside the head.

"Th-the one in the black dress you idiot!"

Blue nudged him in the side "Oh that one! I can see you like her!" He smirked as he started walking over.

"OH! For the love of-" Red covered his face in embarrassment "Let's just get this over with!"

Leaf was still looking at the outfits in the boutique store when she heard a familiar voice call out from behind her "Hey Leaf! We're here!"

She turned around to see Red and what she presumed to be his friend standing there.

"Hey Red!" Leaf greeted "Is this your friend you were talking about?"

Red smiled and introduced them "Leaf this is Blue, we've been friends ever since we were little."

Just as Leaf was about to extend her hand in greeting, the spikey haired individual disapprovingly raised his eye brows "Leaf huh? What are you a plant?!" He scoffed.

Shocked at what she heard, she immediately fired back "Blue huh? What are you a primary colour?!"

"_Ooh! There's a quick left!_" Red thought as he tried to stop himself from laughing.

Blue chuckled at her quick wit and extended his hand "You can call me Gary!" He noted as she returned his greeting "Red's the only one who calls me Blue, something about how he thinks primary colours are **cool**!"

"Hey! Primary colours are cool!" Red blurted out before crossing his arms and turning away "I…I mean….whatever!"

Blue snickered "Hey Leaf you wanna know something funny?" He asked as he nudged her in the side.

Leafs eyes darted from side to side, unsure of what he was getting at "Umm…sure?"

"Red's not actually his real name!" Blue noted as he slyly looked over at his friend "It's actually As-HMPH!" Blue never got to finish what he was saying as he was immediately cut off by a hand over his mouth.

"ATATATA! NOBODY SAYS THE 'A' WORD!" Red yelled at the top of his lungs "How many times do I have to tell you Blue?! That name is associated with weakness!"

Leaf looked at Red confused "Wait? You're name isn't really Re-"

Red immediately pointed to her "YOU ARE STILL CALLING ME RED!" He loudly stated and then pointed at Blue "AND YOU CAN GO CRAWL IN A HOLE SOMEWHERE FOR ALL I CARE!"

Leaf couldn't contain herself and started howling with laughter at Reds outburst "_This is the first time I've ever seen him so…..unguarded…." _She thought to herself_ "__It's….kinda…cute.__"_

"So… just how did you two end up meeting anyway?" Blue asked as he looked at the two of them.

Both Red and Leaf looked at each other with worry in their eyes "Umm…" They nervously said in unison. After all, they couldn't just tell Blue about the whole theft and blackmail ordeal.

"W-well…..you see…." Red nervously began "I…got a little lost coming out of Vermillion…and..."

"And I stopped and helped him out!" Leaf immediately chimed in.

Red quickly nodded "And….things just went from there!" He finished explaining.

Blue had no idea what to make of the story he just heard "Alright….let me get this straight Red…" He said while rubbing his temple "YOU got lost?!"

"Hey!" Red interjected "Have you seen how different everything is now? It's no wonder I got lost!"

Blue waved him off "It's not that different!"

Red slapped his head and pointed to where the woods once stood "OH! And I suppose the Viridian forest just got up and walked away, didn't it?"

"Ok! Fair enough!" Blue admitted as he waved his in the air "I'll give you that this place HAS changed quite a bit."

Red sighed as he turned to Leaf "Anyway…The bottom line is that Leaf and I are now partners okay!" He stated as Blue began to walk over to her; it was time to put his plan into action.

"OH! So this girlie thinks she's going to be a professional pokemon trainer huh?" He scoffed as he scanned her up and down "She's got the look down…."

"How many times do I have to explain it to people?!" Leaf yelled as she got in a defensive position "I do not want to be a pokemon trainer!"

Upon hearing that, Blue turned away from her "That's probably for the best…."

Leaf narrowed her eyes at his brash comment "What?"

Blue shrugged as he continued his rant "Let's be honest here, if you were a trainer, how would you plan on winning one of my earth badges? Attack me with that stupid pink balloon you got there? Don't make me laugh!"

Offended by his insult, jigglypuff jumped off Leafs head and glared at Blue "Hey! This **pink balloon** could kick your ass any day of the week!" Leaf declared as they prepared themselves for battle.

"Oh really?" Blue scoffed as he turned around and pulled out a pokeball of his own "Well let's find out right now!"

Seeing that things were getting a little heated, Red immediately stepped between them "Woah! Hold on! Blue you're not fighting her, she only has one pokemon!" He stated, trying to get his friend to calm down.

"Red! What are you doing?" Leaf protested "I wanna fight this guy!"

Red tipped his hat over face "You won't last 2 seconds against him Leaf…." He dully noted "You should know Blue's the EX-EX Champion of the region, he's no push over!"

Leaf stood in shock "_The __**Ex-Ex**__ champion?"_ She thought as Red looked at both of them.

"So no more fighting! Alright?!"

"HMPH!" Blue grunted and pointed at Leaf "Listen to me and listen to me good girlie! Go out and get some better pokemon and come back and face me as a real trainer!" He declared as he narrowed his eyes "...and until that day comes, I don't want to see your face! I DON'T EVEN WANT TO HEAR YOUR VOICE! CAUSE UNLESS YOU CAN BECOME A WORTHY OPPONENT, YOU'RE JUST A WASTE OF MY TIME!"

With that said, he turned around and started to head back to the gym, leaving Leaf completely speechless.

Before Red could say anything to comfort her, he heard Blue call out to him "RED! GET OVER HERE! NOW!"

"ONE SECOND!" Red yelled back as he put his hands on Leafs shoulders "I'll be right back okay!" He said as she continued to blankly stare at him.

"O-okay…." Leaf whimpered as she watched Red run after Blue.

As soon as they were out of Leafs sights, Blue put his arm around Red and started laughing "So what did you think?"

Red looked up at the sky "Well it was a bit aggressive for my tastes…" He noted as Blue turned to him.

"But it was good right?"

Red nodded "Oh it was beautiful and I think it worked…." He stated as he motioned to the gym "Hey Blue, can we go inside for a second? I gotta ask you something."

* * *

Meanwhile, Leaf was still frozen in shock over what just transpired "_What just happened? Everything was going so well and then all of a sudden I'm getting yelled at…."_ She frightfully thought to herself.

Unfortunately for Leaf, she was so shocked that she completely failed to see the sudden increase in commotion on the streets, the increasingly loud sound of sirens coming towards her and someone yelling "Hold it right there!"

Jigglypuff tried to motion to her to get away, but it was too late, two officer Jennies grabbed Leaf and held her down on both sides.

"Hey! What's going?!" Leaf protested as the officers handcuffed her "I didn't do anything!"

Little did they realize that Leaf was actually telling the truth, but it didn't matter to them and they started reading Leaf her rights.

"Shade Thief: Leaf Green!" The head Jenny began "You are being charged with theft in various cities, you have the right to remain silent…."

"_Shadow! SHADOW! Thief: Leaf Green! Why is this so hard for people to remember?!"_ She thought as looked at the ground "_Oh!_ _Why is this happening now?! Everything was going so good too…"_

* * *

Back in the Viridian Gym, Red and Blue where still talking to one another.

"…and thanks for taking good care of the house since I've been gone!" Red graciously thanked his friend.

Blue laughed "Well I'm not too thrilled about doing it, but every week there's money in my account, so I have to…"

"By the way Blue…." Red pondered as his eyes darted from side to side "I was wondering if you could do me a favor?"

Blue raised his eyebrows "That….depends on the favor…."

"Well…." Red trailed off as he took out a piece of paper out of his pocket "I want you to buy this for me!"

Red handed the paper over and Blue stared at it wide eyed "Be serious!"

"I am being serious!"

Blue crossed his arms "Red…you do realize how much of an idiot I'll look like buying this right?!"

Red chuckled as he poked his friend in the head "You're already an idiot! So there shouldn't be any problem!" He teased as he reached into this pocket and pulled out some money. "Here, you can keep whatever change is left over as thanks! Buy it for me and send it to the next city okay!"

Blue sighed as Red got up and started to head out the door "You really do like this girl don't you?" He noted as he looked at the piece of paper Red had given him.

* * *

As Red exited the Viridian Gym, he was greeted by the sound of sirens in the distance "_What's going on?"_ He thought as he curiously looked around…_._then it hit him "_LEAF!" _He panicked and started running as fast as he could towards the source of the sound.

As Red drew closer his fears were realized. There was Leaf, being forcefully held down by two officers.

"HEY!" He yelled as he ran towards them "WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!"

"RED!" Leaf called out to him "I SWEAR I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"

Upon seeing him, the lead Jenny started to walk over "Ah! Mr. Champion!" She greeted "Don't worry, the situations under control! We've finally caught this felon, so you can go about your business!"

Red's eyes narrowed and his voice shook with rage "THAT GIRL'S WITH ME! UNHAND HER NOW!" He yelled so loud it caused the lead Jenny to cower in fear.

"B-but Mr. Champion! You are aware that this felon is the cause of numerous thefts in the area." She tried to explain "If she's released now-"

"I'm aware of her past sins!" He noted as he cut her off "…and I plan to reimburse those that were stolen from in full!"

"_WHAT?!_" Leafs eyes widened as she heard what he said.

The lead Jenny frantically looked around, unsure of how to proceed "I…I….see…very well!" She said as she looked back at the other Jennies "You heard him! Release her!"

Within seconds, Leaf was released of the handcuffs and she quickly ran over to the still enraged Red.

"Oh! One more thing!" Red called out to the lead Jenny before she got on her bike "I want all this girls crimes to be stricken from the record!"

The lead Jenny quickly saluted him "Y-yes sir! Right away!" She replied as they drove away.

Red then turned to Leaf who was completely speechless "Come on Leaf! Let's get out of here!" He stated and forcefully grabbed her hand "NOW! MOVE IT!"

Leaf could barely make a sound "O-okay…" She whimpered, frightened at how angry Red was right now.

They walked in complete silence until they reached the outskirts of Viridian, at which time Leaf forcefully released her hand from Reds and got right up in his face.

"WH-WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!" She yelled at him and Red looked down at his feet.

"I'm sorry….I didn't mean to raise my voice…." He apologized "But…I had to try to sound convincing to everyone…."

"NOT THAT YOU IDIOT!" Leaf loudly stated as she grabbed his collar "I'm…I'm…" She stuttered, unable to say the words she wanted to say.

"You're free!" Red clarified for her.

"Y-you really are the stupidest person in the world!" She continued to yell at him "What kind of idiot requests all a felons crimes to be stricken from the record?!"

She then fell to her knees and put her hands on her head "Those sins were mine and mine alone to fix…"

"Where? In jail?!" Red sternly stated as he looked down at her "Sorry Leaf, but I won't let that happen to you!"

"Why…." She whispered as she looked away "I don't deserve to be free…"

Red sighed as he knelt down beside her "Do you remember when we first met? When the officers showed up and you had nowhere to run?"

Leaf nodded as he continued "Well I could have easily turned you in at that time…." Red noted and looked up at the sky "But when I looked down at you, I saw how scared you were and in that moment….I knew that I wanted to help you…"

"Y-you mean…."

Red turned away "That's right….that whole blackmail thing was just a farce! I just wanted to show you a different world….a world where you don't have to steal to live….I just…want you to be happy…" He admitted as he lowered his hat "I really want to see this journey through to the end Leaf….I really do! But…if you want to leave, I can't stop you….."

Red smiled as he stood up "I'm just happy that you can be free now and I hope you won't go back to your old ways…" He noted as he turned around and started slowly walking away.

"Red wait! Please wait!" Leaf yelled as she walked over to him "I…I always figured the blackmail thing wasn't true and if it was, you would have to be the nicest blackmailer to ever exist!"

She then proceeded to hold out her hand "I promised didn't I? I want to see this though to the end as well…and when it's over…"

Red reached out to her outstretched hand and held it tight "When it's over it won't matter, I'm not abandoning you and that's a promise!"

Overcome with joy, Leaf threw her arms around him "…..thank you!" She muttered into his jacket as tears began to form in her eyes.

She then looked over to see Red's eyes go wide at her sudden showing of affection "You're so warm right now!" She giggled and buried her head into his jacket again.

Red couldn't stop his face from going flush as he tried think of something to say "W-well…umm….I guess after all that yelling I'm quite fired up!" He joked and started to gasp as she hugged him tighter "H-hey! Come on Leaf, I can't breathe!"

Leaf laughed as she slowly released him "Well I might need the help of that fiery passion if I'm going to beat that jerk Blue!" She declared as they stood face to face with each other.

Red couldn't believe what he was hearing "S-so you're actually going to take Blue up on his offer and become a trainer?"

"That's right!" Leaf clarified as she narrowed her eyes "Nobody insults me and gets away with it!"

Red laughed and then looked down at Leafs hand. As he did, Red could have sworn he saw something flash "Leaf what's in your hand?"

A mischievous smirk formed on Leafs face as she looked down at her hand as well "Oh this?" She coyly trailed off as she opened her hand to reveal a feather shaped badge

Red was at a loss for words "I-IS THAT ONE OF BLUES EARTHBADGES?!"

Leaf sarcastically raised her finger in the air "It's a souvenir….for the memories!" She winked at him.

"LEAF! WHAT DID WE JUST-"

Red was cut off by a finger to his lips "I know and I plan to go back and earn it legitimately." Leaf noted "But…until then, this is revenge for your friend being such a jerk to me!"

Red chuckled and shook his head "You know…normally I'd be mad, but I'll let this one slide" He winked back trying to impersonate Leaf.

"_I doubt Blue will miss just one badge anyway!"_

Now free to go where she wished, Leaf looked toward the road ahead "So? Where to now Red?" She asked as Red did the same.

"Well, you're a trainer now Leaf!" He stated as he looked over at her "So I think it's time for your first true gym battle!"

Leaf raised her fist in the air "Let me at em! I'll take em all on!" She stated with confidence as they walked towards their next destination.


	6. Chapter 6: Leafs First Gym Battle

Chapter 6: Leaf's First Gym Battle

It was about midday as Red and Leaf made their way through the outskirts of Viridian City. With a new goal in mind, the two were now on route to the site of Leafs first gym battle; Pewter City.

As they walked side by side, Red curiously glanced over at his companion and smiled. "Hey Leaf, I got a question for you." he asked as she turned to him as well.

"Yeah Red, what's up?"

"How come when Professor Oak and I nicely offered you to be a trainer, you refused?" he noted as he tipped his hat over his eyes, "Yet, when Blue does the exact same and acts like a jerk the entire time….you're suddenly all for it!"

"That's simple!" Leaf stated as she sarcastically rolled her eyes, "I'm the Great Shadow Thief and nobody calls me out and gets away with it!"

Red watched as she proudly raised her fist in the air and began to stroke his chin in thought. "Okay…note to self: When it comes to Leaf….use aggression to get what you want…" he muttered, causing Leaf to sternly glare at him.

"What was that?!"

Hoping she hadn't heard him, Red frantically began to wave his hands in front of his face. "N-nothing! It was nothing!" he quickly reassured her.

Amused at how nervous she was making him, Leaf playfully nudged Red in the side. "Alright nice guy, now I got a question for you!"

"Go on…."

Leaf crossed her arms. "Well…so far I've met you, the ex-champion and now I just met Blue, the ex-ex-champion…." she trailed off before nudging Red in the side again, "So…when do I get to meet the real deal?! The ACTUAL champion!"

Red closed his eyes and crossed his arms as well. "The minute you collect all 8 gym badges and beat the elite 4, then you can meet him!"

No sooner did Red finish explaining and Leaf had the biggest grin on her face. "Can you imagine what would happen if I beat him?!" she wondered before happily clasping her hands together, "Oh! I can picture it now Red! Champion Leaf Green: Shadow Thief!"

Red stared at her dumbfounded. "God help us if that happens…" he muttered to himself, causing Leaf to glare at him.

"Hey! What do you mean by that?" she demanded, giving him a little shove.

"Leaf…you and I both know you wouldn't last 2 seconds as champion!" Red chuckled as he playfully shoved her back, "You'd get too bored from all the responsibilities!"

Leaf tilted her head back and forth in thought until she eventually turned and winked at Red.

"Yeah…you're probably right! Champion Leaf Green is a stupid title anyway!"

The two laughed, thoroughly enjoying one anothers company and before they knew it, Pewter city was within sight.

"Well that didn't take long!" Leaf stated as she saw the huge city in front of her.

"That's because there's no more Viridian Forest to drudge through anymore," Red noted as he motioned behind him, "By the time we walked through the outskirts of Viridian City, we were pretty much here!"

* * *

Unlike Viridian city, Pewter city remained pretty much unchanged throughout the years. It still had its trademark museum and of course, the massive Pewter gym.

Not wanting to waste any time, Red quickly guided Leaf to the gym's giant stone doors. "Well here it is Leaf, the site of your first gym battle!" he announced as Leaf stared at the gym in awe.

She then looked down and spotted sign that was posted on the front door. "**Welcome to the Pewter Gym, We Specialize in Rock Hard Defense and Determination!**"

A worried look formed on Leaf's face as she proceeded to read the sign. "The….rock gym?" she whispered as she turned to Red, "Red! It's the rock gym!"

Red nodded in assurance. "That's right!" he exclaimed as he watched Leaf's face turn pale, "What's wrong with that?"

Leaf rolled her eyes and poked Red's forehead. "Hello! Genius! How's Jigglypuff supposed to take on rock-type pokemon?!" she demanded, pointing to her pink partner "The only kind of moves we know are normal-typed!"

Red chuckled to himself before tipping his hat over his eyes. "I guess…that's for me to know and for you to find out." He cryptically replied, making Leaf even more confused.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" She wondered as she lightly punched him in the shoulder.

"_I'm having WAY too much fun with this!"_ Red gleefully thought before flashing her a cocky grin, "You know…when I first challenged this gym, I had to beat it with only Pikachu here." he boasted, looking down at his yellow-partner.

"Oh really?" Leaf dully replied, "….and just…how did you ever manage to pull that off with an ineffective electric-type?!"

"That's simple! We used the sprink-" Red immediately stopped as he realized what he was saying and nervously corrected himself, "Uhh…I mean...hard-core weather strats!"

Leaf gave him a puzzled look and Red quickly changed the subject. "Look! How I won isn't important!" he exclaimed as he tried to rush her into the gym, "What IS important is how you plan to win!"

The two took a whole step forward towards the gym before Red came to a complete stop. "On second thought….m-maybe you should stay out here and I'll call you in!" He stated as he turned to her.

"What? Why?" Leaf wondered, more confused than ever.

"W-well….you see…" Red stammered as he scratched the back of his head, "Brock can get a little…..excited when it comes to girls…"

"Oh…I see…"

He then reassuringly patted her shoulder. "Bit of advice, if he does lay into you, it's best just to let him finish!"

Leaving Leaf to ponder what he meant by that, Red quickly walked into the gym.

* * *

As he pushed the stone doors open and entered into the arena, Red saw that not much had changed; the terrain was still rocky as ever and there were still a bunch of boulders strewn about. However, there was one thing that was missing; the gym leader.

Red didn't see Brock anywhere and as he made his way through the rocky terrain of the Pewter Gym, he started calling out. "Brock! Hey Brock! Where are you?!"

It didn't take long before Red faintly heard a voice reply. "Red?! Is that you?!"

Within seconds, a squinty eyed individual appeared from the back of the gym and started to run towards him.

Earlier that day, Red had sent a message, via his PokeNav, to Brock. But, because he had been gone so long, Red was unsure if he had received it or not.

"Brock! I take it you got my message?!"

The older trainer smiled as he ran up to Red. "You bet I did!" he stated as the two high-fived, "I can't believe you're back!"

"Yeah, I'm back alright…." Red sighed, nervously scratching the back of his head, "I thought I would finally get a chance to relax once I came back…..but, I've actually been quite busy."

"So I've heard!" Brock noted while stroking his chin, "What's this I hear about you taking on a new protégé?"

"Protégé?" Red scoffed and quickly shook his head, "Uhh…no! She's my new traveling companion!"

Upon hearing that, Brock curiously raised his eyebrows. "_**She**_…huh?"

"Yeah…." Red sighed as he poked his head out the door, "Come on in Leaf!"

Leaf cautiously entered the gym and was met with an individual, who was on one knee in front of her and quickly grabbed her hand.

"Welcome to the Pewter gym, my name's Brock the gym leader!"

Unsure of what to make of this situation, Leaf forced her best smile. "Umm..I'm Leaf nice to meet you." she greeted back.

"Leaf huh?" Brock continued to swoon, "Such a pretty name! Tell me, would you consider going out with me tonight?"

Leaf stared at Brock in disbelief. "_Wow….Red was right! This guy really IS desperate!"_ she thought before an idea crossed her mind, "_Hmm…if that's the case….I might as well have some fun with this!"_

Without warning, an evil smirk formed on Leafs face as she leaned right down to Brock's level and seductively whispered. "That depends….what do you got to offer me?"

Completely caught off guard, Brock went flush in the face and Red's eyes went wide as he watched all this unfold.

"Alright! That's enough of that!" he quickly stated as he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her away.

Seeing that Red was visibly getting flustered by this, Leaf turned to him and pouted. "Aww! Come on Red! I was just having some fun!"

"Leaf! J-just ask him already!"

"Alright…" Leaf sighed as she straightened up, "Brock! I've come here to challenge you for a gym badge!"

'I see…" Brock replied as he got up and dusted himself off, "…and will this be your first gym battle Leaf?"

Leaf smirked as she thought back to what happened in Viridian City. "Well actually….."

Red watched as her hand began to fidget in her pocket and immediately grabbed her arm to stop her. "Leaf are you mad?! Don't show him the earth badge you stole!" he harshly whispered in her ear.

Scared at his tone, Leaf immediately stopped. "Yep! First time ever!" she declared before turning to Red and whispering back, "Come on Red! Can you imagine how he would react?!"

While all this was going on, Brock gave her a seductive smirk. "So….your first time will be with me huh….." he stated as he rubbed his chin, "You should feel privileged!"

No sooner did Red hear that and he buried his face in his palm. "_Seriously?! What the hell am I listening to right now!"_ he thought as Brock motioned to the arena.

"Actually, truth be told, the gym's supposed to be closed today."

Red gave him a puzzled look. "Really? Since when do gyms leaders have days off?" he wondered as Brock put his hands on his hips.

"Hey! Gym leaders have lives too you know!"

Red had to stop himself from laughing. "_Yeah…sure Brock! Whatever you say!"_ he sarcastically thought to himself.

The two watched as Brock tilted his head in thought for a few seconds before kneeling down and grabbing Leafs hand again. "However….for such a pretty lady like you Leaf….I'll make an exception!" he declared to her, "Just give me a couple hours and I'll have the gym ready for battle!"

Proud at what she had just…unintentionally accomplished, Leaf smiled sweetly at him. "Oh you're too kind Brock!" she said before grabbing Reds hand and motioning him outside, "Come on Red, let's go walk around for a bit!"

"You go ahead Leaf! I'll be right out!" Red stated and waved her on, "I want to talk to Brock for a minute."

"Okay!" Leaf winked at him before adding, "Don't you keep me waiting!" she noted and happily ran outside.

As soon as Leaf was out of sight, Red sighed as Brock put his arm around him. "Alright Red level with me here, do I got a shot at her or wha-"

"NO!" He immediately retorted, cutting Brock off, "NO YOU DON'T!"

Brock could tell by the tone in Reds voice that something was up. "OH! I SEE!" he announced, nudging Red in the side, "You don't have to hide it! I can tell that you want her!"

Red's face turned completely flush at that statement. "T-THAT'S….I-" he stammered, trying to find his words.

Brock shook his head as Red embarrassingly turned around and pointed at him. "L-look! We came here for a gym battle and we're not leaving without one!" he exclaimed before sternly adding "…..and don't go easy on her because she's a girl!"

Red watched as a confident smile formed on Brocks face. "Don't worry, she's going to get the true rock solid master himself and no less!" he proudly proclaimed.

Happy that Brock was taking this seriously, Red patted his shoulder. "That's what I like to hear, call me when you're ready!" he said as he walked outside to join Leaf.

* * *

As Red exited the gym, he saw Leaf standing by the door, giggling to herself.

"What's so funny?" he wondered as he walked over to her.

"Oh it's just that….I'm pretty sure that if I played my cards right, I could have gotten Brock to give me every badge he had!"

Red shot her a disapproving glace. "Well….I'm…glad you didn't!" he muttered under his breath.

A smirk formed on Leafs face, she loved how flustered Red was acting right now. "Oh? Is that jealousy I hear in your voice?" she teased, nudging him in the side.

"Jealousy?! Don't make me laugh!" Red scoffed, "Leaf, the day I'm jealous of Brock is the day that Arceus gets caught in a pokeball! It's not happening anytime soon!" he sternly proclaimed, causing Leaf to laugh hysterically at him.

* * *

With hours to kill, the two decided to go spend some time at the museum until the gym was ready.

Along the way, Red suddenly felt Leaf cautiously grab his arm and he looked over at her with concern. "You're shaking! Are you alright?" he asked as she frightfully pointed towards a garrison of officers not too far away.

Red saw the officers as well and reassuringly held her hand. "Don't worry…it's okay." he noted and waved to them as they passed by.

Much to her surprise, the officers happily waved back to them without even giving Leaf a second thought.

"See? No problem!" Red stated as turned back to Leaf and rubbed her shoulder.

She stared at him in awe. "Just how much authority does an ex-champion have?" Leaf wondered and Red simply shrugged.

"None…"

"WHAT?!" she gasped.

"I lost all my authority when I stepped down as champion." Red explained to her, "However, for some reason, most people still think I have some position of power."

Leaf watched as Red closed his eyes in thought. "Back in Viridian, I took a shot in the dark to see if that former power would convince the officers to strike you from the record….." he stated as he looked back over his shoulder, "…and…from the looks it…my plan worked perfectly!"

Leaf couldn't help but laugh, she never expected Red to be so….cunning.

"You know Red, I think if I trained you hard enough; I could make you into a first class thief!" she noted, patting him on the back, "You've definitely got the potential for it!"

Red definitely shook his head. "Personally, I think I'd rather teach YOU how to become a first class pokemon trainer instead Leaf!" he stated as the two finally reached their destination.

* * *

The museum had several exhibits on display and Red and Leaf decided to go check them all out.

"You know…." Red pondered as he looked at an old Aerodactyl fossil, "I don't understand the purpose of these exhibits, especially now that they use the fossils to bring extinct pokemon back to life!"

"Hey, it's thanks to that new technology that fossils fetch for such a high price now!" Leaf quickly chimed in as she turned to him, "You know Red…if we were ever in need of money…I know some people that would pay handsomely for rare fossils!"

Red sighed, despite how hard he was trying to change her ways, Leaf was still thinking like the same thief she used to be.

"Leaf, just so you know, I still plan on reimbursing everyone you've stolen from!" he stated as he stared into her eyes, "…and you're going to help me do it!"

Leaf recoiled in shock as she thought how much that would cost. "Geez Red! Just how much money do you have?!" she inquired with a puzzled look on her face.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you Leaf?" Red replied, tipping his hat over his eyes, "It's not nice to ask about another man's money."

Leaf shrugged. "I've never known a man with enough money to ask!" she playfully replied as Red crossed his arms.

"Well for your information, I only bring with me as much money as I need at one time!" he explained before shooting Leaf a quick glare, "You know…in the unlikely scenario I was ever to get robbed!"

Upon hearing that, Leaf started waving her hands in the air. "Hey! I didn't steal any money from you! I was just picking up your badges that fell out of your bag! Remember?!"

Red rolled his eyes. "Oh right! The badges that magically jumped out of their case, I completely forgot!" he sarcastically replied, giving Leaf a slight shove.

As the two bickered, Reds PokeNav suddenly started beeping loudly causing them both to look down.

"That means Brock's ready…..it's time!" Red announced as he looked over at Leaf, "Are you nervous?"

Leaf didn't even have to answer him; he could tell just how nervous she was. "A bit…I just don't want to let myself down….or you…." she admitted.

Red sighed as he rubbed her shoulder. "Let me ask you something Leaf, do you want to be the best?"

"The best?" Leaf wondered, "Uhh…sure…"

"Well if there's one bit of advice I can give you before this match, it's this: No matter how bad the situation looks; the best will win, no matter what!"

Leaf stared at him for a few seconds before finally nodding. "I…see…."

With that in mind, the two exited the museum and made their way back to the gym.

* * *

Upon re-entering, Leaf saw that the gym was now completely lit up and there were two raised platforms set up on both sides of the arena. Amongst all this was Brock, standing in the middle of the arena, looking full of confidence as they walked towards him.

"I know I stated this when we first met Leaf...but, welcome to the Pewter Gym!" he greeted, "Are you ready to do this?!"

"You bet!" she yelled out as she placed Jigglypuff on the battlefield, "Don't worry Jigglypuff, you're going to be great!" she ensured the pink pokemon.

"Jiggly!" Jigglypuff replied, raising its stubby hand in the air. Even though it had never been in a true battle before, Jigglypuff was all fired up for this fight.

With that, Leaf proceeded to walk over to a lift that would take her to one of the raised platforms.

However, just as she was just about to get on, Red suddenly called out to her. "Hang on Leaf! I'm coming too!" he shouted as he ran over, "Is that alright with you Brock?"

"No problem Red!" Brock called out as he boarded his lift as well.

* * *

As the two reached the top of the platform, Leaf took a moment to observe her surroundings. "_Wow! We're really high up!"_ she thought as she looked down on the battlefield.

Red decided it would be best to stand behind her, ready to give advice when needed. "_Remember Red, you have to let her do this on her own…"_ he thought as he looked down as well.

"Since you only have one pokemon, this will be a one-on-one battle!" Brock yelled out, "Is that alright Leaf?"

Leaf nodded. "Fine by me! Let's go Jigglypuff!" she shouted and Jigglypuff jumped onto the battlefield, ready for action.

"So…you're using a Jigglypuff huh?" Brock pondered as he grabbed a pokeball from his pocket, "Let's see how it fares against my main pokemon: Onix!"

Brock threw his pokeball onto the battlefield and out came his giant rock pokemon, which towered over Leaf's Jigglypuff.

"_THIS is what I have to beat?!_" Leaf frightfully thought as she stared wide-eyed at the sight before her,"_How?!"_

Red could sense her fear and he watched in silence as she made her first move. "Alright Jigglypuff! Charge it now!" she called out and Jigglypuff began running toward its mighty adversary as fast as it could.

Stunned at what she had just commanded, Red could only tip his hat over his eyes to avoid seeing what was going to happen next.

"_What are you doing Leaf?! Don't try to take it head on!" _

Brock smirked as Jigglypuff drew closer "Onix! Iron tail it!" he suddenly commanded and before Leaf could retaliate, Jigglypuff was smashed into a nearby wall by Onix's tail.

"Jigglypuff!" she screamed as Jigglypuff fell to the ground and struggled to get back up.

"_A steel-type move?!_" Red thought as he raised his eyebrows, "_That's right, Leaf still thinks that Jigglypuff is a normal-type! She doesn't realize that it's actually a fairy-type and that steel is super-effective against it!" _

He then looked over at the opposing side and saw that Brock was smiling, confident that he was clearly in charge of this match.

_"Wow…Brock really is bringing everything he's got to this fight!"_

"Come on Jigglypuff!" Leaf pleaded to her pink partner, "Pound it now!"

Jigglypuff raised its fist and hit Onix with everything it had, but to no avail.

"Come on Leaf, you should know that normal-type moves don't have very much of an effect on rock type pokemon!" Brock sternly lectured her before narrowing his eyes, "You really should have prepared better before coming to face me and now it's going to cost you!"

"Onix! Tackle it!"

Leaf could only watch in horror as her partner in crime was flung mercilessly around the battlefield. She wanted to yell out a command, but no words came out of her mouth.

With all hope lost, Leaf turned to the man standing behind her and pleaded. "RED! PLEASE STOP THE FIGHT!" she yelled at him, grabbing onto his collar, "I'M NOT READY FOR THIS! PLEASE!"

Red watched as tears welled in her eyes and she started pounded on his chest "Please….I'm not a trainer….I'm just a stupid thie-"

"PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER LEAF!" He yelled out, cutting her off.

Unable to take it anymore, Red grabbed Leafs shoulders and stared into her eyes "Come on! You're letting fear cloud you judgement!" he stated before turning her around and pointing at the battlefield. "Look at your partner Leaf!"

She looked down to see Jigglypuff struggling to get up. It was beaten, battered and limping, but it was still getting up; it wanted to keep fighting….for her sake.

"You see! Jigglypuff wants to continue, it wants to win! But…it can't do that if its trainer doesn't believe in herself!" Red declared and Leaf could only stare at him as he continued his lecture, "You can do this Leaf! Your partner believes in you! I believe in you! YOU'RE THE BEST AREN'T YOU?!"

Leaf looked back down at her partner, "_Jigglypuff's giving everything it's got to win this fight…..I can't give up! No matter what!" _she thought as she stood up, full of confidence, "THAT'S RIGHT!"

With that, Red once again pointed to the battlefield. "Now look, what's Onix been doing this whole fight?" He asked and Leaf turned to him.

"It's been directly charging at us the whole match!" She confidently answered and Red nodded in approval.

"That's right! Onix may be big, but it's slow! That's its weakness; use it to your advantage!"

Across the battlefield, they both heard Brock call out, "Leaf, I think you're a nice girl and all, but it's about time I put you away!"

"Onix! Use iron head and finish it!" Brock commanded and Onix's head shone bright as it charged towards Jigglypuff.

Red narrowed his eyes. "You know what to do Leaf! It's time for a counter-attack!"

Leaf nodded and narrowed her gaze as well "_Not yet….not yet….."_ she thought as Onix charged closer and closer.

"Now Jigglypuff! Inflate!"

Without warning, Jigglypuff grew to a massive size as Onix made contact with its body…only to completely ricochet off it.

"Wait! WHAT?!" Brock cried out as Onix collided into a nearby wall.

Red smirked as he watched the events unfold. "Now that's using your head!" he stated, impressed by her cunningness.

Leaf smiled as well, but she wasn't about to lose focus. "_I can't let up now!"_ she thought as she quickly called out her next move.

"Jigglypuff! Charge it now!"

With as much energy as it could muster, Jigglypuff ran towards Onix, who was still reeling from the recent collision.

"Now! Sing!"

Jigglypuff then jumped onto Onix's head and began to sing its soothing melody. It didn't take long and within seconds the gargantuan rock snake's eyes grew heavy.

"Oh-no! Onix wake up!" Brock yelled to his pokemon, but it was no use; Onix was fast asleep and Leaf was now in full command of this battle.

She raised her fist in the air. "Now jigglypuff! Use pound!" Leaf called out and with as much strength as it could muster, Jigglypuff smashed its fist into Onix's head.

"Don't let it breathe! Keep it up!"

As per Leaf's command, Jigglypuff kept smashing Onix as hard as it could, over and over again.

"You're doing great Leaf! Keep it up!" Red encouraged her, but she shook her head.

"_No…it's not enough damage and Jigglypuff's too tired and injured to keep up this strategy…."_ Leaf thought as she noticed Onix starting to stir from its slumber, "_I have to finish this quickly….somehow…." _

Just then, an idea popped in Leaf's head and she took a deep breath as she considered it. "_This probably won't work, but it's the only chance I've got! _

With more passion and enthusiasm than she had ever experienced in her life, Leaf raised her fist as she recalled Red's words from earlier. _"I'm putting it all on the line for this! The best will win no matter what!_" she declared in her mind as she looked up and shouted out.

"Jigglypuff! Use….metronome!"

Red was taken aback from what he just heard. "METRONOME?!"

Without warning, Jigglypuff jumped off of Onixs head, smashing its fist into the ground and a dead silence fell over the gym.

"W-wait….what just happened?" Brock wondered as he confusingly looked around.

Suddenly the battlefield began to shake violently as the area underneath Onix cracked open and sent it sky high.

"Oh my god….it used earthquake…." was all Red could mutter as Onix came crashing back down onto the battlefield.

Leaf was speechless. All she could hear right now was the sound of her own heart beating and Brock, crying for Onix to get up.

However, despite his best efforts, Brock couldn't get Onix to budge; it was down…Leaf had beaten it.

"I…I...won?" she muttered in disbelief. It took her a few minutes, but as realization set in, the biggest smile formed on Leaf's face, "I WON!" she cheered as loud as she could before turning around and hugging Red tightly.

"RED! I DID IT!"

Red blushed at her sudden showing of affection and weakly smiled back. "Yeah….you sure did Leaf…you sure did…." he muttered, still baffled as to how a Jigglypuff ever learned metronome.

* * *

The two quickly boarded the lift back down to the battlefield and as soon as they landed, Leaf ran over to her partner and held it in her arms.

"We did it Jigglypuff! That was our greatest caper ever!"

Completely exhausted, Jigglypuff sighed as it nestled its head into her arms. "Jiggly…."

The two stood in silence until Leaf heard Brock call out to her. "Hey Leaf!" he shouted as he ran over to her and Red. "That was one heck of an interesting battle! I've never heard of a Jigglypuff using metronome before!"

"An old man taught it to us after we did him a favor!" Leaf explained as she looked down at her pink partner, "But we only use it in emergencies…it puts a lot of strain on Jigglypuff."

"That's probably because it's a move that Jigglypuff can't learn normally." Red stated as he looked down at the pink pokemon with concern, "…..and while it may be tempting to use a move like that, I would suggest that you don't….for Jigglypuff's sake."

"I know…." Leaf sighed as she petted the balloon pokemons head, "I'm sorry for putting you though that Jigglypuff…."

She then looked up to see Brock extending his hand to her. "Leaf, I'm very impressed! For your victory here today, I present you with this boulder badge!"

Leaf looked down at the rock shaped badge in disbelieve. "_Just a little while ago, I was trying to steal one of these things! I never imagined I'd ever legitimately earn one…."_

All of a sudden her face grew sad as she thought more about that fact.

"I don't deserve it…."

Red and Brock both had confused looks on their faces. "Why not Leaf?" they asked in unison.

"Cause I didn't beat you fairly Brock…." Leaf stated as she lowered her head, "Not only did I use an illegal move...but, it was by sheer luck that Jigglypuff used earthquake. I'm sure if it had been anything else….you would have been victorious….you had that match won!"

Brock shook his head, "Whether by luck or not, you beat me Leaf!" he noted as he turned to Red, "Isn't that right Red?"

"Even when we know we have an advantage in battle, luck will always be an unexpected deciding factor in determining who wins and who loses." Red wisely explained as he walked over to her and rubbed her shoulder, "Don't worry Leaf, we'll work on strategy later. For now, be proud of the victory you've achieved today!"

Leaf looked over at the two of them and smiled, "You're right! Thank you both!" she said as she proudly looked down at her new badge.

Brock happily smiled back at her. "Congratulations Leaf! Here's your prize money! I hope we can meet again one day!" He noted as he handed her some pokedollars and turned to his old friend, "…and Red! Don't be afraid to give me a call now and then!"

"You can count on it Brock!" Red nodded in response before Brock walked up and gave him a nudge.

"…and make sure you don't let this one get away!" he cheekily whispered, causing Red to blush.

* * *

With that, Red and Leaf said their goodbyes and started making their way to a nearby pokemon centre.

"Come on Leaf, we should get Jigglypuff treated before we leave!" Red said as they walked into the centre.

As Leaf was busy leaving Jigglypuff with a nurse, Red watched as a mailman curiously looked over and approached him.

"Excuse me! Are you Red, the champion?"

Red closed his eyes and sighed in frustration. "_I'm too tired to even bother correcting him!_"

"Yes I am!" He reluctantly announced as the mailman reached into his bag and presented him with a beautifully wrapped gift box.

"I have a package for you from Viridian City!"

"_Oh right! I'd almost forgot!_" Red thought, slapping his head as he realized what it was,_ "Blue you magnificent bastard!_"

"Thank you very much!" he said as he graciously accepted the package. "How much do I owe you for this?"

The postman smiled and tipped his hat. "No charge is necessary sir!" he assured Red before walking away, "Pleasure doing business with you Mr. Champion!"

Upon hearing all the commotion, Leaf turned around. "Hey Red! What's going on?" she wondered and Red quickly hid the package behind his back.

As she proceeded to walk over to him, Red felt his heart start to beat faster. "Umm…Leaf…I have something I want to give to you…" he said before presenting the package to her.

Leaf's eyes widened as she stared at the package in shock. "W-what's this?" she stuttered as she took it out of Red's hands.

"Well, why don't you open it and find out!"

Slowly, Leaf untied the bow that held the box together. She then took a deep breath before removing the lid and nothing could have prepared her heart for what she saw.

Inside, was an outfit that consisted of a green tanktop with a red skirt and the sight of it caused Leaf to drop the box in shock. "Oh…wow…." she gasped as Red walked over to her.

"I….saw you admiring this outfit while we were at that boutique store in Viridian." he explained as he bent down and picked up the box "…and while you and Blue we're arguing, I took it upon myself to write down all the information I needed to buy it."

Leaf stared at Red in disbelief. "Is this…..for winning the match today?"

"Yes….you could consider it congratulations for your win today…." Red noted as he handed Leaf the box, "But…I also want you to think of this outfit as a new beginning!"

"A…new…beginning?"

Red nodded. "Yes, the beginning a new life where you don't have to steal from others in order to live…" he stated as she took the outfit out of the box and held in front of her face.

"D-do you…like it?"

Leaf's eyes were practically sparkling. "Like it?" she wondered as tears began to stream down her face, "Red…I LOVE it! Thank you so much!"

Red couldn't help but tear up as well, he could tell just how genuinely happy she was.

"D-do you mind if I try it on?" Leaf hesitantly asked and Red waved in reassurance.

"Of course not! Go right ahead!" he happily replied.

Unable to contain her excitement, Leaf ran as fast as she could to the back so she could change into her new clothes.

* * *

In the meantime, Red brought his PokeNav to his mouth. "Can I get patched to the Viridian Gym please?" he ordered and threw his holocaster on the ground.

Within seconds, a see-through image of his spikey haired friend appeared in front of him and Blue scoffed as he saw Red. "What do you want?!" he yelled, but nothing could faze Red from the happiness that he felt right now.

"Blue…your timing could not have been better!" Red graciously thanked his friend, "I just got the package and…you should have seen the look on her face when she opened it!"

Blue huffed. "She'd better love it! Do you know how much trouble I went through to get that for you?!"

Red raised his eyebrows. "Oh! It couldn't have been THAT bad!"

Blue gritted his teeth as he thought back to what happened. "Red…the cashier at that boutique store said I'd look cute in that outfit!" he embarrassingly admitted, "Did she REALLY think that I was buying that outfit for myself!"

Red couldn't help but laugh at his friend's misfortune. "Thanks Blue! Now, the image of you in a dress is going to haunt my dreams for the next few weeks!"

Upon hearing that, Blue gritted his teeth even more. "You're such a moron!" he declared before crossing his arms, "So…how'd she do?"

Red smiled and proudly held up Leaf's boulder badge for Blue to see.

"…and how do I know that's not yours?"

Red rolled his eyes. "Cause this one's mine you idiot!" he stated, holding up his own boulder badge as well, "Blue! You should have seen it! It was a hell of match!"

He was just about to tell Blue about how the match went down, when all of a sudden; Red heard a loud buzzing sound coming from Blues end.

"That's my intercom going off…." Blue stated as he stood up, "You'll have to tell me later Red; I have to go crush some trainers now!"

"Alright! See you later!"

* * *

No sooner did Red shut his holocaster off and Leaf happily walked out in her new outfit.

"_Oh…my…god!_" Red thought as he stared at her wide eyed. He had picked this outfit for Leaf because he thought it would look good on her. But, Red never suspected just HOW good it would look on her.

"Leaf….you…" he continued to stare at her, trying to get the words he wanted to say to come out, "You look….amazing!"

His complement made Leaf blush as she looked down at herself and twirled around. "I've never had clothes this nice before!"

Red watched her in awe before bending down and reaching into the box "Wait! That's not all of it! There's this too!" he noted as he pulled out a hat shaped like a premiere ball and handed it to her.

Leaf happily took the hat and placed it on her head "Hey! Now I can be all mysterious like you!" she declared as she tipped her hat over her eyes, trying to impersonate Red.

"_Do I really do that all the time?"_ He thought as she began to walk over to towards him.

"Well Leaf, we should probably get g-"

His words were cut short as she walked right up to him and tenderly kissed him on the cheek.

Completely caught off guard, Red's face went flusher than it had ever been in his life. "I…uh…what was that for?" he stuttered, trying to keep his composure.

"W-well… I-I couldn't think of any better way to thank you for everything you've done…" Leaf admitted as she blushed back, "N-no one's ever done something like this for me before…."

Reds felt like his heart was going to explode. Right now, there was only an inch of space between the two of them and as Red stared into her eyes, he became increasingly nervous as she started inching closer to him.

"Leaf….I…."

The two continued to stare at one another for the next few seconds until Red cleared his throat. "U-umm…w-well! Make sure you warn me next time you do something like that!" he stammered, completely beside himself.

Seeing how flustered he was, Leaf coyly rubbed her chin in thought. "Hmm….I'll consider it!" she stated before quickly kissing him on the cheek again and running out of the centre.

Stunned at what just happened, Red watched as she ran ahead of him and yelled out to her. "Hey! Where are you going?! Don't leave me behind!"

"Come on slowpoke! Catch me if you can!" she yelled back and Red struggled to quickly put on his backpack.

"_A new beginning indeed!_" he thought as he ran after her.


	7. Chapter 7: To Catch a Thief

Chapter 7: To Catch a Thief

The day continued to pass as a young lady ran was ran through the streets of Pewter city as fast as her feet could take her.

"We sure left Red in the dust, huh jigglypuff?" She huffed as she decided to stop and wait for him to catch up "I wonder where he is?"

No sooner did she ask that before jigglypuff tapped her on the head and pointed behind her "There he is!"

In the distance, she spotted her companion running as fast as he could towards her.

"_I think we should have some fun with this!" _ She playfully thought to herself.

As Red approached her, Leaf tipped her hat over her eyes and raised her fist to her mouth like she was talking into a microphone "And here he is ladies and gentlemen, the champion of the Kanto region!"

Red was panting so hard he could barely form words to respond "Ex….EX champion! How…many...times… do I have to…. say it?" He tried to blurt out.

Leaf smirked as she motioned her imaginary microphone in front of Reds face "So….Mr. Ex-Champion, how does it feel to be out run by a girl in a skirt?"

Red sharply narrowed his eyes "_Oh! She just HAD to go there!" _He thought as he pushed her imaginary mike out of the way and yelled "I HAVE NO COMMENT!"

Leaf gave him a disappointed look as she waved her finger in front of his face "You're too slow Red, I think you need more exercise!"

Red frowned "I'm sorry, I don't have as much experience running from other people as you do!" He retorted.

The two intensely stared one another down until they couldn't hold their serious expressions anymore and started laughing.

"Wow, you look so weird when you're serious Leaf!" Red chuckled

"Oh yeah? Well you look even weirder!" She shot back.

As they finally calmed themselves down, Leaf looked towards the horizon "So, what now Red?"

Red looked up as well "If possible…I'd like for us to get to first and then we can relax."

However, before they could move an inch, Red and Leaf suddenly heard a voice call out to them "RED! LEAF! HOLD UP!"

They turned around to see Brock running up to them.

"Hey Brock, did you miss us already?" Leaf teased as Brock tried to catch his breath.

Brock chuckled "Actually Leaf, there was something I wanted to give you before you left" He stated as he reached into his pocket.

Red sighed "_Brock I swear if it's your phone number…" _He thought to himself, but to his surprise, Brock pulled out a shiny grey stone and presented it to Leaf.

"What's this?" Leaf asked.

Red observed the stone as well "I believe that's a moonstone, right Brock?"

Brock nodded "You and your jigglypuff make a pretty good team Leaf, I was wondering if you'd ever consider taking it to the next level and evolving it?"

Leaf looked down at the stone as she pondered "_If I use this stone, jigglypuff and I would stand a better chance against the other gyms, but still…."_

After a few moments of pondering, Leaf shook her head "I'm sorry Brock, but I'm going to have to decline your offer." She stated as she looked down at her partner "Jigglypuff and I have been together for so long, it wouldn't be the same if it evolved…"

Brock smiled "That's alright, reminds me of a friend who thought the same thing a long time ago!" He noted, glancing over at Red "You can keep the stone, many are usually found outside Mt. Moon anyway."

Leaf thanked Brock as he handed her the stone and bid them farewell "Take care guys!" He called out as he ran back to the gym.

Red and Leaf both waved back "I'll talk to you soon Brock!" Red called out and then turned to Leaf who was still looking at the stone "So…what do you want to do with the moonstone?"

Leaf held the stone up to the light like a jeweller and smiled "Lets hold on to it, I'm sure with the right person it would fetch a high price!"

Red rubbed his temple "How'd I figure you'd want to sell it?" He muttered as they resumed their journey.

As they kept walking, Leaf couldn't help but notice that Red had the biggest smile on his face "Hey! What are you smiling about?" She asked out of curiosity.

"Oh….I'm just proud of the decision you made that's all! It's not easy to say **no** to an evolution stone." Red stated as he looked over at his partner on his shoulder "I had to make that decision once as well…"

Leaf was taken aback, she never once questioned why Red had a pikachu instead of a raichu "And why did you say no?"

Red shrugged "I guess….I just like a challenge!" He noted as Mt. Moon came into view.

* * *

As they reached the mountain, Red decided it would be a good time to sit down and finally show Leaf how to use her PokeNav.

"See, this button brings up the map and this one brings up the phone…."

Leaf reached over "….and what does this button d-AHH" She screamed as music suddenly started blaring from the device and Red scrambled to turn it off.

"That's….the…..radio….." He sighed and Leaf grasped her head in defeat.

"Augh! There's so much to remember! Why don't we just use yours?!"

Red sighed "Because….if we ever get spilt up, you can call me and I can find you, yeesh!"

He then reached into his bag and pulled out a square device with some CDs and showed them to Leaf "This is called a technical machine or TM, it teaches pokemon moves that are on these CDs"

"Hmm…." Leaf pondered as she curiously sifted through Reds CDs "So I could teach jigglypuff any move on these CDs?"

"Not ANY move…." Red stated as he looked through his bag and handed Leaf a list "See, here are all the moves jigglypuff can learn with the TM!"

Red watched as Leaf looked over the list and suddenly punched him in the arm "Oww! What was that for?!" He winced.

Leaf pointed to a spot on the list "I could have taught jigglypuff brick break the entire time!" She glared at Red "That would have made the gym battle a hell of a lot easier!"

Red looked away "I…was planning to show you the TM machine….if you had lost…." He stuttered and Leaf stood up

"Did you seriously not think I could win that fight!"

Red stood up as well "Well you sure as hell didn't think so!" He shot back at her "I wanted you to try a vanilla battle without using the technical machine and…well you surprised us all!"

Leaf sighed as she looked down at the ground; she really couldn't argue with that "Well…I guess I can forgive you for that…." She admitted.

Red continued to lecture Leaf about the PokeNav until he noticed that the sun was starting to set behind "It's getting late" He stated and reached into his bag.

"Are you getting the tent?" Leaf asked as Red rummaged through his bag.

"TENT? Heck No!" Red replied as he pulled out a pokeball and summoned charizard "I've had enough of tents over the years, we're not far from home so charizard can just fly us!"

"Sounds good to me!" Leaf said, but as she was walking over to charizard, she felt as if something was moving on her head "What the?" Leaf felt the top of her head to find that nothing was there "Where'd my hat go?"

Suddenly, out of the bushes leap a small pink clefairy that donned Leafs hat "Fairy!" it squeaked happily and ran away.

Leaf gritted her teeth as she watched the small pokemon run away "Hey! Come back here with my hat you thief!"

Red looked up, wondering what all the commotion was about, to see Leaf chasing the little moon pokemon "Hey! I paid good money for that hat!" He stated as he began pursuing as well.

Leaf was steadily gaining on the pokemon, when suddenly it came to a screeching halt in front of her and leapt away revealing a steep slope "Woah!" She yelled and managed to stop just inches from the edge "Phew! That was close!"

But her relief was short lived as Red, pikachu and jigglypuff all bumped into her from behind and four rolled down the slope tumbling onto the ground below.

* * *

Leaf rubbed her head in pain and looked up to see that Red had fallen on top of her, causing them both to blush.

"Uh…so is this what you meant by using aggression to get what you want?" Leaf giggled and Reds face grew even more flush.

"OH SHUT UP LEAF!" He yelled clearly embarrassed.

"Fairy!"

Red looked up to see the clefairy dancing a few feet in front of him "There it is!" He said as he got up and made a b-line towards the dancing pokemon.

"Red wait!" Leaf called out "It's right in front of a-"

As soon as Red got close to it, clefairy jumped over him revealing a cliff on the other side and Red barely managed to stop in time.

"WOAH!" He screamed trying to keep his balance.

"Hang on Red! I'm coming!" Leaf shouted as she got up and ran towards him. She managed to grab onto him but lost her balance and the two slipped off the edge.

"OH-NO!" they screamed and closed their eyes as they plummeted to the bottom.

"_To think it would end because of a stupid clefairy!" _Red thought to himself as he readied himself to feel the impact of hitting the ground.

Surprisingly that never happened and as they opened their eyes, Red and Leaf noticed they weren't falling anymore and were instead on the back of Reds faithful fire dragon "Ch…charizard!" Red yelled in surprise.

Charizard roared as it brought Red and Leaf back to the cliff where pikachu and jigglypuff were standing. The two were panting ferociously as their pokemon tried to comfort them

"Red…you ok?" Leaf panted as she tried to catch her breath.

Red breathed heavily as well "Yeah…..thanks charizard" He said as he petted the fire dragon.

They then heard what sounded like laughing coming from above and as they looked up, they saw clefairy on the ledge above them laughing.

"CLEFAIRY!" Red yelled "Clefairy if I catch you! I swear you'll be a rug!" He stated as he turned to the others "Come guys! Lets get it!"

Leaf grabbed his shoulder "Wait Red don't act rash! Clefairy clearly wants us to follow it!" She noted as she crossed her arms "This pokemon really is a thief through and through!"

Red grabbed her shoulders and shook her "Well what are we gonna do Leaf? You're a thief! Use some of those thief instincts!"

Leaf nudged him playfully "Oh….I thought you didn't want me to be a thief anymore…"

"_Oh-no…you're not going to make me…."_

She then proceeded to stretch out and look at her nails "But maybe if you asked me nicely…"

Red shut his eyes and sighed in defeat "_I can't believe I'm actually going to say this…here goes….." _He thought as he cleared his throat "Oh…Great Shadow Thief: Leaf Green!" He gritted his teeth as he forced the words out "How do you propose we deal with this rouge pokemon?!"

Leaf patted his shoulder "I thought you'd never ask!" She playfully stated and then turned away all mysterious like "Let me ask you something Red…. what do you think a thief fears more than anything?"

Red scratched his head "I don't know….a small bounty?" He replied, unsure as to what she was getting at.

Leaf shook her head "Someone with a plan! In every theft I've committed, I've used the element of surprise to my advantage." She explained to him "See, when people are surprised they act rashly and in doing so, they make stupid decisions and that makes it easy to take advantage of them"

Red narrowed his eyes "_Was that a shot at me Leaf?!"_ He thought as he recalled what just happened between him and clefairy.

"But when someone has a plan, everyone your up against is organized!" Leaf continued to explain "What makes that scary is the fact that you may think the people you're up against are making stupid decisions, when in all actuality, they luring you into a trap!"

"Meaning…."

Leaf looked up to where Clefairy was dancing "If we're going to catch it, that's what we need to do; lure it into a trap!"

Red nodded "Okay…so what's the plan?" Red asked and Leaf closed her eyes and raised her hand in front of his face.

"Give me a minute, I've always been the thief before, this is my first time being the thieved!" She stated as she tapped her head in thought. She then suddenly snapped her fingers as an idea popped in "I've got it!"

Red confusingly looked around, surprised by her outburst "What's up?"

"We're going to corner it! But to do that we're going to need more bodies, the 5 of us aren't enough!"

Red flashed her a cocky grin "Got ya covered!" He said with confidence as he reached into his bag and pulled out 4 more pokeballs "Alright everyone out!" He yelled out as he threw the balls in the air "Blastoise, venasaur, snorlax, lapras, I need you all!"

Red turned to his companions "Everyone! This is Leaf; I want you to give her your full attention!"

Leaf looked around at the team she had just assembled and smiled "Alright everyone huddle up!" She motioned for everyone to get closer "Huddle up! We're going to make a plan!"

The next few minutes were spent listening to Leaf explain how they were going to corner clefairy and they watched as she pointed out specific positions for them to be in.

"…..I'll lure it to this spot, give the signal and we'll strike!" She stated as she looked around at all the pokemon "Everyone clear!"

Red nodded and all the pokemon roared in approval.

"Alright, everyone hands, claws, vines, fins in the middle!" Leaf excitedly ordered "LETS DO THIS! 1-2-3 BREAK!"

All the pokemon scattered and Leaf turned to Red who was getting on charizard "Remember! On my mark Red!"

Red nodded "Right!" He acknowledged and took off to the sky.

"_Alright! Time to scout!" _Leaf thought as she began to scale the mountain range.

* * *

After a few minutes of walking she came across the clefairy playing with her hat by a small stream.

"_There you are!" _Leaf thought as their eyes met and she cautiously made her way towards it.

"Hello there, my names Leaf!" She greeted as she inched closer to the tiny moon pokemon.

The clefairy blinked at her a few times "….fairy?"

"You sure like to steal things huh? I can relate." Leaf said as she narrowed her eyes "But! Unfortunately for you, what you stole is a gift that's very special to me, so I suggest you give it back!"

Not wanting to give up its spoils, clefairy reached into the stream and threw a rock a Leaf that grazed her face "FAIRY!" It yelled and ran away.

"_OH I see how it is!"_ She angrily thought to herself as she began to pursue it_ "So much for the nice approach!"_

Clefairy attempted to escape by scaling large parts of the mountain but Leafs previous experience in performing death-defying escapes allowed her to easily keep up with it.

"_I've got to try to lead it to the area we agreed on!"_ Leaf thought as she continued to pursue the pink pokemon.

After a few minutes of chasing, Leaf finally cornered clefairy against a giant cliff side that it couldn't scale.

"Are you ready to surrender?!" She asked as she took a step forward "There's nowhere for you to run!"

Now in a panic, clefairy ran under Leafs legs trying to escape "Red! Now!" She yelled out, it was time to put her plan into action.

Without warning charizard crashed down in front of clefairy and Red jumped off "Are we going somewhere?" He asked the frightened pokemon.

Clefairy looked around in fear for an escape route, but every time it tried to run away it was stopped by one of Reds pokemon who emerged from that area. It even attempted to swim across a nearby lake, but was stopped by Reds Lapras who was lying in wait. In the end, clefairy could do nothing but back up towards the cliff side until it bumped into Leafs leg.

As it did, Leaf quickly snatched her hat back "I believe this is mine!" She proudly stated as she walked over to Reds side.

"Your plan worked perfectly Leaf!" Red said with an impressed look on his face.

Leaf tipped her hat "You should have known it would take a former thief to catch another!" She noted as the other pokemon joined them.

Clefairy was terrified, it had nowhere to run, its back was against the cliff and in front of it were 7 angry pokemon and 2 humans.

"So what do you want to do with it Red?" Leaf asked as she turned to him.

Red turned to his companion with an evil look in his eye "Have you ever had **Clefairy a la Flame** before?"

Leaf eyes darted from side to side "Uhh…no, but it sounds….foreign to me."

Red returned his focus to clefairy "Me neither! But we're about to find out what it's like!" He yelled out and pointed at clefairy "CHARIZARD! BUR-"

Before he could give the order, Leaf hesitated and grabbed Reds shoulder "Wait Red! Don't you think this is bit overkill?"

Red looked at her with shock "What are you talking about Leaf? It nearly killed us! It deserves to be punished!"

"But Red…" Leaf looked over to see clefairy trying it's best to cover its eyes with its stubby hands "Look at it, it looks so scared…."

Red raised an eyebrow "…and it should be! Now's not the time to think it's cute!"

Leaf sighed "You know….now that I look at it….it kinda reminds me of…me…." She said as she looked down at the frightened pokemon "There were so many times in the past that I was backed into a corner with nowhere to run and all I could think to myself was **is this the end?**"

Red looked over to her "What are you trying to say Leaf?"

She knelt down to clefairys level "You're the first individual to ever successful steal something from me; you're truly a pokemon after my own heart!"

Clefairy backed up slightly as Leaf extended her hand "But a thief's life only leads to trouble… believe me, I know personally. That's why my partner and I have been trying hard to reform!" She explained as she gave the pink pokemon a warm smile "So would you consider joining my team of reformies?"

Clefaries face lit up and its eyes sparkled as it leapt into Leafs arms "FAIRY!"

Leaf smiled "_I think that's a yes!_"

Red gave her a confused look "_Team? What team? You don't have a team!_"

"But, before you join my team, I have one rule, you have to prove yourself first!" Leaf declared as she put clefairy down "Think of it as an initiation."

Clefairy nodded and Leaf looked to her partner "Alright jigglypuff, are you ready for action?!"

Jigglypuff jumped out in front and got into a fighting position. "Jiggly!"

Red decided to return all his pokemon except charizard and pikachu leapt on his shoulder "A battle between the two round, pink pokemon of the region huh?" He noted as he turned to his yellow partner "Should be interesting….."

* * *

Leaf narrowed her gaze as she called her first command "Alright jigglypuff! Attack it head on and use pound!"

Jigglypuff dashed forward, fist at the ready and clefairy decided to retaliate by doing the same, causing both pokemons fists to collide.

Before Leaf could make another command Clefairy took the opportunity to slide underneath jigglypuff and pound it in the face.

Red winced "_Ooh! That had to hurt!"_

"_It's fast!_" Leaf thought as jigglypuff attempted to retaliate, but Clefairy continued to dodge it "_I need to find a way to slow it down…."_ She pondered as she looked around and spotted an area with a bunch of smaller rocks.

"Jigglypuff, lure it over there!" She commanded and jigglypuff continued to pursue Clefairy till it forced the pokemon to the area Leaf was talking about.

"Jigglypuff try pounding it again!"

Jigglypuff did as Leaf commanded and as Clefairy attempted to dodge, it lost it's footing on the rocks and fell over. Jigglypuff finally scored an attack and the resulting impact launched Clefairy straight into a rock, causing it to stagger.

"Ok jigglypuff, sing!"

Clefairy couldn't escape the soothing melody of its counterpart and within seconds it was asleep on the ground.

With her opportunity in sight, Leaf quickly grabbed one of the pokeballs Red gave to her.

"_It's now or never!" _She thought as she tossed the ball at the sleeping pokemon and after a few twitches the ball snapped shut.

Leaf walked over, picked the ball up and whispered "Let's try to reform together okay?"

Red walked over with 2 potions in hand and handed one to Leaf "Congratulations! I knew you could do it!"

Leaf looked down at her newly caught pokemon "I wasn't planning on getting a new partner….but I'm glad I did!"

She let her new pokemon out of its ball and Red tossed her a potion "That's for jigglypuff, I'll heal clefairy!"

Leaf knelt down to her partners level and started to spray the potion on it "That's two victories in one day jigglypuff! You'd better stop while you're ahead!" She stated and jigglypuff blushed at Leafs comment.

Red meanwhile, also knelt down and started healing clefairy "Hey, sorry about almost burning you to a crisp today, I let my anger get the better of me…." He admitted as he continued to spray down clefairy with the potion.

"Fairy!" It called as tried to reach for his hat.

"Hey!" Red swatted its hand down "No more of that!" He demanded.

The two finished healing the pokemon and Red looked to the sky "I think we've lingered here long enough, it's time to go home" He said as he mounted on the back of charizard.

Leaf nodded as she jumped on charizard as well.

Before taking off, Red sighed and narrowed his eyes "Just to let you know Leaf…..it's probably going to be awhile before I can set up your next gym battle….."

"Why's that?" Leaf wondered as Red began to stutter.

"Umm…I'll tell you later okay!" He said, trying to dodge the question "Let's go charizard!"

Charizard roared as they rose into the sky and took off towards Pallet, a new friend in tow.


	8. Chapter 8: A Tense Reunion in Cerulean

Chapter 8: A Tense Reunion in Cerulean

It had been weeks since Leaf won her first gym battle at Pewter city. It took a long time, but Red managed to arrange a date for Leafs next gym battle against the Cerulean gym leader. However, from the day it was revealed that Leafs next gym battle would be against the Cerulean gym leader, she was noticing that Red was acting kinda strange around her. He never wanted to talk about the match and started acting really nervous all the time. Leaf figured that since Red had finally managed to arrange the match, that he would be happier. But instead, she noticed that Red was growing increasingly more agitated as the date for the battle drew closer and finally, the day of the gym battle was upon them.

Leaf yawned as she crawled out of bed and held up her partner "Today's finally the big day Jigglypuff!" she stated with joy.

As Leaf made her way downstairs to the living room she saw Red frantically pacing back and forth.

Leaf just shook her head; this wasn't the man she knew

"Good morning Red" she greeted.

Red didn't even look up "Morning…." He blurted.

Leaf couldn't take it anymore "Would you stop pacing! You look like a damn fool!" she stated as she walked over to him

"What's wrong Red? You've been acting weird ever since you found out I was challenging the Cerulean gym next"

"I'm just nervous that's all!" he yelled back

"It's just…this gym leader and I, we have….history together"

Leaf raised her eyebrow "What kind of history?"

Red looked down at the floor and Leaf understood right away what he meant "Oh….that kind of history"

Red sat on the couch and put his face in his hands "I'm going to be honest with you Leaf, right now I don't know what makes me more scared: Having to face her again after all these years, or the fact that she never called me back until I mentioned you…."

Leaf gave him a puzzled look "Wait, What?"

Red rubbed his head stressfully "Yeah, I must have tried calling her like 20 times and it wasn't till I left a message saying that you wanted to battle her, that she actually responded"

Leaf rubbed her head as well "_We're off to a great start aren't we?"_ she thought.

"Well, if it's that bad for you Red, I can just go myself, I'm not afraid!"

Red shook his head "I HAVE to go! One of the pokemon I'm looking for to complete the pokedex is suspected to be in a cave near Cerulean city"

He stood up and looked out the window "And the only person who has the authority to give me the information about that cave…..is the person who oversees all the affairs in Cerulean….the gym leader"

Leaf sighed, Red was always so confident in himself and it broke her heart to see him like this. This was the same guy who stood up to the law with no fear for her sake and now he looked so frightened over this simple matter.

"So…..what time's the match going to be?" Leaf inquired

"I was told to be there at 12 o clock sharp" Red looked up at the clock "So we should leave soon"

Leaf chuckled to herself "_I slept in that much? I must really be getting used to sleeping in a bed now_"

Within a few minutes Red and Leaf got all their stuff together, Red summoned charizard and within a few minutes they landed just outside of Cerulean city. They dismounted and Leaf started running towards their destination

"Come slowpoke! I'll race you there….Red…" She looked back to see Red just standing there staring a Cerulean.

Leaf quickly ran back to see what was up "Hey Red…..you ok?" She put her hand on his shoulder and could feel that he was shaking

"I'm…afraid" he muttered "I never wanted to come back here….I'm afraid of what she's going to say"

Leaf squeezed his hand "Hey, come on Red….sometimes in order to get over our fears we have to face them head on"

She warmly smiled at him "It may not be pretty, but I know you'll feel better after it's done….and you won't be alone"

Red slowly nodded "Yeah your right, thanks"

He scratched his head "Maybe I should call her to let her know we're coming"

Red brought his PokeNav to his mouth and shouted "Can I get patched through to the Cerulean gym please?"

Leaf listened as the sound of ringing could be heard, but there was no answer.

Red put his PokeNav down frustrated "Great, she's not there!" He looked at his watch "And she told me 12!"

"Where could she be?" Leaf asked.

Red sighed as he looked towards Nugget Bridge "I have my suspicions…" Red grabbed Leafs hand "Come on…"

The two walked through Cerulean City and kept going until they reached Route 25

"Red where are we going? This isn't the city"

Red kept walking "There's one place she hangs out at if she's not at the gym and that's the Cerulean Cape"

As they reached the Cape, Red and Leaf stopped as they saw a well-dressed man and a red haired girl in a swimsuit standing on the shoreline talking to each other

"….And you have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen in my life and that's no lie" they overheard the man say.

"Oh! Don't stop there, keep going" the girl giggled in response.

Red took a deep breath as he and Leaf walked over. "A-HEM!" he loudly cleared his throat so they could hear him

"Hello Misty! We're here as you requested!"

The gentleman looked over at Misty "Who's this?"

Misty looked away "HE'S NOBODY!"

The gentleman then started to hastily walk over to Red "Look buddy! I don't know who you think you are? But I'm on a date right now so butt out!"

Red narrowed his eyes "Not anymore you're not!"

Red reached into his vest and pulled out his ID and the gentlemen went wide eyed "Yyyour the ch…cham-"

"League business! Go home!" Red said sternly.

The gentleman promptly ran away and Misty sharply glared at Red "I TOLD YOU TO BE HERE AT 12!"

Red pointed to his watch "It's 11:58, what were you going to do? Tell him he's got 2 minutes and leave?"

Misty shot back "OH! You're an expert on that aren't you!"

She looked over at Leaf "So who's this? Your new girlfriend I've heard so much about?"

Leaf put her hat over her eyes "_Oh boy…maybe this really was a bad idea…."_

Red looked over at her "Misty, this is Leaf and Leaf, this is Misty….the Cerulean gym leader"

"Hi" was all Leaf could utter

"Hi yourself!" Misty sharply replied.

Leaf motioned for Red to come close and she whispered in his ear "Red, I'm going to go train by that waterfall over there ok?"

Leaf pointed to a large waterfall far away "Come get me when you're ready"

"It's ok, I don't blame you" he whispered back

"HEY YOU TWO!" they heard Misty yell "Are you done with your little lovers spat"

Leaf quickly whispered in Reds ear "What does she specialize in?"

"Water types"

Leaf nodded "Thanks, do you mind if I borrow your bag?"

Red handed it to her and she walked away.

As soon as Leaf left, Red turned back to see Misty shaking her head "Still picking up strays off the street I see, you haven't changed a bit!"

"_She doesn't realize the irony of what she just said_"

Red rolled his eyes "Misty, the information about the pokemon inside the Cerulean cave, did you bring it with you?"

Misty yelled as she walked towards him "You're gone for years; I never hear a word from you and you have the nerve to ask me for information after you just ruined my date!"

She pointed in the direction where Leaf left "Tell me Red! Are you going to promise her the world like you did me and then the next day, up and leave for years without a word?!"

Red looked down at the ground and Misty kept laying on the pressure "What? Did you not tell your little brunette about that? Yeah, I've heard all about her from Brock." Misty turned away "Let me tell you something Red, if it was me she was fighting and she pulled that kind of stupidity! Regardless if she'd won or not, I wouldn't have given her a badge and would've told her to come back when she actually learns how to strategize" She gritted her teeth "And I don't care if I sent her out of my gym bawling her eyes out; nobody pulls that stupidity with me!"

Red shook his head "_Clearly you don't know Leaf. She'd probably steal everything you have in revenge before doing something like that" _he thought to himself

"So if that pathetic little brunette thinks she's going to come into my gym and-"

Red cut her off "Look Misty! I don't have a lot of time!" He held out his hand "Can just give me the information I need about the Cerulean cave, do this gym battle and we'll be out of your hair."

Misty looked down at Red's hand and shook her head "All these years you've been dragging others along with you and chasing this false fantasy that completing the pokedex will make everything better!"

Red looked at the ground "…..It's for closure"

Misty crossed her arms "IT'S STUPIDITY! You were a selfish bastard back then Red and guess what? You're still a selfish bastard now! I don't care how much you believe it, completing the pokedex isn't going to bring your mom back" She got right up in his face "She's dead GET OVER IT!"

Red froze in shock. He didn't know how to respond, he wanted to, but no words came out.

Misty continued to glare at him "I'll make you deal Red"

"….what deal" he muttered in response

"If your little brunette somehow manages to beat me today, I'll give you your information you SO desire" She narrowed her eyes "But! If she fails, you get NOTHING! Your stupid fantasy ends here and you can both go home and cry for all I care!"

Misty took a few deep breaths and started walking away "….I prepared the gym before I left today, if you both got the guts to come and face me! Then bring her over now!" and with that she left Red in silence all alone.

He just stood there for a few minutes taking in what Misty just said to him _"…it's not just a fantasy_!" he thought as he slowly started to walk towards where Leaf was supposed to be.

As he came closer to the waterfall, Red saw Leaf just standing there, deep in thought, letting the wind blow through her hair.

Red cautiously approached her; he really had no idea what to say "Hhheyy Leaf…." Red tried to blurt out.

Leaf slowly turned around "Hey…." She quietly responded "Did you get the information you needed?"

Red looked down "_I can't tell her that she's now fighting for my information too….she's already got enough pressure as is" _

He looked up "Yeah" he lied "Took some time, but she finally handed it over"

Leaf looked away "That's good…."

The two stood in silence for a minute before Red finally spoke up "Yyyou know Leaf…..we don't have to take on this gym today…..there's many other gy-"

Leaf cut him off "I'm challenging this gym!" Leaf turned to him "I said I was going to do it and I'm going to do it!"

Red sighed and put his hands on her shoulders "Look" he said nervously "I just want you to know, no matter what the outcome of this battle may be, you're not letting me or yourself down-"

She cut him off again "I'm not losing this fight!"

Leaf brushed his hands off and started walking towards the gym "Just so you know Red" she stopped in her tracks and looked down "I'm not winning this fight today just for me…" Leaf looked up "I'm winning it for the both of us!" she stated as she resumed walking to the gym

"_What's with her?" _Red thought as he ran to catch up.

After a few minutes of running back to the city, the two stood before the doors of the Cerulean gym.

Red and Leaf both took a deep breath before Leaf pushed the doors open to reveal the arena surrounded with water, with Misty standing in the middle "So, the coward finally decided to show up!" she said with confidence.

Red and Leaf looked at each other and didn't say a word as they boarded the lift that would take them up to the raised platform.

"Where do you think you're going Red?" Misty asked as Red boarded the lift.

Red motioned to the raised platform "Umm…I'm going up with Leaf" he sheepishly replied

"You're not going anywhere!" she pointed to the side of the arena ""You're going to stand over there and watch me destroy her up close!"

Leaf turned away "…it's ok Red, I don't need your help to win this fight!"

Red nodded "ookay…remember, you're the best!"

Leaf breathed deeply as the lift dropped her off at the raised platform, on the other end she could hear Misty still yelling at Red and finally she had enough

"HEY!" Leaf yelled "Your fights with me, not him!"

Misty turned and looked her dead in the eye "Very well, it'll be a 2 on 2 pokemon battle" Misty grinned at her "Is that's ok with you girlie?"

Leaf gritted her teeth "_Why does ever keep calling me that?!" _

She motioned to the battlefield "Fine by me! Jigglypuff! Get ready for battle!" Her pink partner jumped onto the battlefield ready for action.

Misty tightly grasped one of her pokeballs as she threw it on the battlefield as well "Staryu! Let's get this over with!" Out came Mistys staryu looking as shiny as ever.

Red looked up at his old friend "Still using your stars I see…" he called out.

Misty looked down at him "Of course, they are the some of the best water types in the Kanto region after all!"

Red then looked over at Leafs side of the arena "_Leaf…I hope you know what you're doing…."_

Misty made the first move "Staryu! Use water pulse!"

Staryu shot an intense stream of water directly at Jigglypuff and Leaf knew there was no way Jigglypuff could dodge it

"Jigglypuff! Brace for impact!"

Jigglypuff crossed its arms as the stream of water hit it head on causing it to rear back

"Jigglypuff, it's time to show them your new move! Use rollout!"

Jigglypuff quickly curled up into a ball and rolled as fast as it could towards staryu, but staryu dashed out of the way and jumped into the water.

Misty chuckled to herself "Is that the best you can do? Staryu's way too fast for that!" She narrowed her eyes "Staryu! Say in the water and use swift!"

Staryu jumped out of the water, hit jigglypuff with swift and then quickly jumped back in and started circling it.

Leaf narrowed her eyes "_She trying to win through a hit and run tactic! I gotta stop it somehow"_ She closed her eyes _"THAT'S IT!"_

"Jigglypuff! Jump in the water!"

Red raised an eyebrow at her command "_What? Seriously Leaf! What is going on in that head of yours?_"

Leaf observed as staryu circled around to where jigglypuff was _"Here it comes, get ready…."_

Staryu was spinning at full speed towards its adversary when Leaf called out "Jigglypuff! Inflate!"

Without warning, jigglypuff inflated to double its size causing staryu to ricochet off its rubbery body and fly into the air.

Misty grabbed the bars on the raised platform and cried "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!"

Leaf wasn't going to let up now "Quickly jigglypuff! Get on top of it and use sing!"

Jigglypuff leapt on stop and started to serenade the star until its jewel started blinking signalling it was asleep.

Staryu proceeded to fall onto the battlefield and Leaf immediately called out "Now Jigglypuff! Use all your momentum and pound it!"

As Jigglypuff came down to the surface it drove its fist into Staryus jewel, cracking it and fainting it instantly.

Leaf could hear Misty cry out from the other side of the arena, but it was no use, staryu was out.

Leaf smirked "Good work jigglypuff! Let's keep it up!"

On the sidelines, Red tipped his hat over his eyes and smiled "_Wow! You never cease to amaze me!"_

Misty meanwhile was taken aback; she couldn't believe that this rookie trainer had beaten one of her pokemon. She gritted her teeth in rage as she recalled her staryu. "That was a lucky break!" she called out "This one will finish you for sure!"

She hastily threw another pokeball onto the battlefield "Starmie! End this now!"

The purple star spun confidently as it was summoned to the battlefield "Now starmie! Use psychic!"

Before Leaf could do anything, Jigglypuff was picked up against its will and flung into the ceiling. The resulting impact knocked jigglypuff out and after it crashed into the battlefield, it didn't get up.

Leaf looked down with concern in her eyes "Jigglypuff….."

Red immediately ran out onto the battlefield and called out "Its ok, I got it!" He kneeled down and picked up the battle worn pokemon

"Jiggly…." It called out to him with a sad look in its eyes

"It's ok, you did amazing jigglypuff" he said as he carried it over to the sidelines with him.

Red looked up at Leaf with concern in his eyes "_Leaf only has one pokemon left and clefairy's never been in a battle before…._" He thought to himself.

Across the battlefield Misty called out "Hey girlie! Maybe you should just call it quits, you saw how fast starmie took out your last pokemon" She gave her a cocky grin "You don't want to embarrass yourself in front of Red right?"

Leaf tipped her hat over her eyes and started laughing "You know, it's funny cause I had this match won as soon as I walked in the door!"

Mistys eyes went wide as Leaf continued "I could have ended it quickly, but I thought I'd spare you the embarrassment and at least give you some challenge to drag the fight out for a bit!"

She looked up full of confidence "But now! It's time to finish this fight once and for all!" Leaf brought clefairys pokeball up to her lips and kissed it "You're my ace in the hole! It's time for you to shine!"

She tossed clefairys pokeball on the field and Red yelled "WHAT THE HELL!" at the top of his lungs at the sight before him.

It wasn't clefairy that came out of that ball; it was something more than that, a clefable.

Leaf wasted no time and immediately commanded "Clefable! Use thunderbolt!"

Misty hesitated to think of a move that would counter this new foe "Ssstarmie…dodg-"

But it was too late and within seconds volts of electricity coursed through starmie fainting it instantly.

Leaf turned away "Game Over…."

Misty stared blankly at what just transpired "I….don't…..believe it" she stuttered

Leaf turned around to face Misty and crossed her arms "Not bad for the **pathetic little brunette **right!"

Red and Misty slowly looked at each other "_How did she know about that?_" They both thought to themselves.

Leaf held her PokeNav up in the air "I bumped into this while we were training and I didn't know how to turn the stupid thing off!"

Red looked down at his PokeNav to see that it was ON the whole time "_Oh my god…"_ he thought to himself

"I ended up hearing your whole conversation, including what you said about me and the dealyou made!"

She looked down at clefable "In that moment clefairy and I knew that we had to beat you no matter what and we agreed to use both the moonstone and the TM to take it to the next level and ensure that it happened!"

Leaf narrowed her eyes and pointed at Misty "I don't care about the history you two had, BUT DON'T EVER INSULT ME AGAIN!"

Everyone went silent as Leaf got on the lift and descended down to the arena to congratulate clefable "You're amazing clefable, great job!"

"Fable!" It happily called out.

Leaf then turned and walked over to Red who was holding jigglypuff "How's she doing?"

Red smiled "She'll be ok after we get her to the pokemon centre"

Red nervously looked at her "you….you did all this for me?"

Leaf nodded "Red, your journey's not just some fantasy, it's really important to you and after everything you've done for me, this was the least I could do."

Red looked at her in shock "Leaf….you"

"Hey!" All of a sudden they turned to see Misty running towards them "Umm..Leaf….do you mind if I talk to you in private for a minute?"

Leaf raised an eyebrow "_That's the first time she's actually called me by my name_"

Leaf looked over to Red who nodded in approval "It's ok, I'll wait right here"

The two girls walked in the back and Misty sighed as she started the conversation "Look, I just want to apologize for my behaviour today…" Misty looked away "I was so upset when I saw Red again and ended up taking out my frustrations on you too. You're not just some stupid brunette Leaf, you're a real trainer-"

Leaf raised her hand up to stop her "It's ok, what's done is done Misty don't worry about, it's alright"

"So…you're going to be traveling with Red from now on huh?"

Leaf nodded and Mistys eyes darted away "Can you just do me a favor please?"

Leaf scratched her head "Sure what it is?"

Misty looked at the ground "Just take care of him for me please!"

Leaf shook her head "Red's more than capable of taking care of himself and after all he's gone through, I can't imagine how hard it is for him" She turned away "But if the time comes where he needs someone to help him get through the times, I promise I will be there for him, ok?"

Misty nodded and smiled "Ok, thank you"

"Now, could you do me a favor?" Leaf asked

"Umm…sure"

"Look I don't know what happened between you two all those years ago and to be fair I really don't care." Leaf motioned back to the arena "But, I do know that what ever happened, it tears Red apart and I think deep down you know he's sorry for what he did" She shook her head "If you can never forgive him, I understand; but please, don't cause him any more grief than he already has…"

Misty chuckled to herself "I can see why Red thinks so highly of you, you care about him a lot"

"Well, you wouldn't know this, but he saved me from a dangerous lifestyle I used to have and I just want to repay him for what he's done"

Misty gave her a warm smile and extended her hand "I'm glad I met you Leaf!"

Leaf accepted it "Yeah, you too Misty!"

Misty then slapped her head in realization "I almost forgot!" She reached into her pocket and pulled out a tear shaped badge "This is the cascade badge! You earned it fair and square!"

Leaf picked it up and smiled "Thank you so much!"

Red was healing clefable and jigglypuff when the two girls returned to the arena

"So how'd it go?" Red asked as Leaf walked up to him

"Oh fine" She patted him on the shoulder "Misty wants to talk to you before we leave, I'll just wait outside ok?"

Red looked over nervously "Yeah no problem…"

As Leaf exited the gym Misty approached Red with papers in her hand "….she beat me fair and square, so a deals a deal"

She presented the papers to him and the two started going through the contents

"You see there's this barrier around the entrance to the cave and no one's been able to enter it"

"What's that over there?" Red inquired pointing to a spot on the picture

"It's a stone slab that reads: **When fire, ice and thunder are united, the worthy will stand before me" **Misty responded.

Red rubbed his head in thought "Fire, ice and thunder…..it's referring to the mystic birds"

Misty nodded "Yep, so you're on the right track looking for them"

The two stood in silence until Misty finally spoke up; it was time to let it go "I'm….sorry for what I said to you today"

Red shook his head "I should be the one apologizing! I should have told you I was leaving all those years ago, but I was too scared to face you…..I knew you wouldn't understand"

Misty shook her head as well "Still, telling you to get over your mothers death was too harsh, even for me." She sighed heavily "Look if you need to get closure by filling out the pokedex in order to get on with your life, then you do it! Alright!"

Red nodded "Thanks, Misty"

She then looked away and nervously asked "I was wondering…..if it's alright with you…..could we be friends again?"

Red tipped his hat, reached into his bag and presented a lure that looked like Misty "You never weren't my friend" he replied.

Misty looked at him in shock "Yyyou kept it all this time?"

Red nodded "I may not be able to stay in contact, but I never forget my friends"

He gave her a warm smile and extended his hand "So, are we cool?"

Misty accepted it and smiled back "Yes! Definitely!"

Red smirked at her "Hey there's still time! You should call up your date and finish what you started!"

Misty laughed "I think you traumatized him for today!"

As Red left she called out "I'm really happy I got to see you again Red!"

Red saluted her "Yeah you too…take care"

As Red exited the gym, Leaf was there to greet him

"So?" she inquired

Red sighed "It feels like a huge weight just got lifted from my shoulders"

Leaf wagged her finger in front of his face "See? I told you it wouldn't be pretty, but it would all work out in the end"

Red laughed and shook his head "Why did I ever doubt you?"

Leaf smiled "I took jigglypuff and clefable to the pokemon centre, so we're all healed up and ready to go home!"

Red stopped her "Wait Leaf! If it's ok, there's somewhere I wanna go first before we go home"

Leaf looked at him surprised "Oh? Alright"

As the two walked through the city Leaf couldn't help but notice Red laughing to himself

"What's so funny?" she asked

"You!" Red stated as he turned to her "You're just full of surprises aren't you?"

Leaf crossed her arms "Hey! If I didn't step it up today, our journey would have been over!"

Red nodded "And I'm glad you did….thanks leaf" and he smiled longingly at her

"What? You look like you missed me"

"It's just nice to see you back to your old self" He nudged her "Personally I like the sarcastic, playful Leaf instead of the super serious one I just saw"

Leaf playfully nudged him in return "Oh yeah! Well I like the Red who's not scared to stand up to the law, not the pace around the house 24/7 worrying Red!"

The two laughed as they reached their destination: Cerulean Cape.

"Why did we come back here?" Leaf asked

"Well we didn't really get a good chance to enjoy it given the circumstances" Red replied

Leaf looked out at the shoreline as the sun was going down "…it's beautiful…."

Red looked over "Hey Leaf I have a question for you"

"Yeah? What's up?"

Red scratched his head "Usually, when someone insults you…you steal something from them in revenge" He looked her up and down "But I don't see anything that's property of the Cerulean gym except the badge you earned"

Leaf looked away "Actually….I did steal something from Misty" she raised her hands in front of her face "But it's something I can't physically grasp in my hands"

Red curiously leaned forward "And…..that was…."

Leaf took a deep breath "Pride" she quietly responded as she looked to the sky "See, Misty thought for sure she was going to beat me and when I defeated her…..I took all the pride she had and humbled her"

Red blinked "I…see"

The two continued to watch the sunset and listen to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore

Leaf turned to Red "Isn't there supposed to be something special about this place?" she asked

Red nodded "There's a legend that if two people meet here they will fall in love, that's why it's such a popular date spot"

"Is that really true?" Leaf sarcastically replied and Red shrugged

"Misty seems to think so, she spends hours here hoping someone will show up"

Leaf slyly looked over "…And what about you?"

Red looked away "I don't believe in fairy tales!"

The two stood in silence as Red argued with himself "_Come on Red! You brought her to the stupid spot! Just ask her already!_"

Red cleared his throat "You know Leaf!" he started "I've traveled this entire region; no one knows it better than me!"

Leaf raised an eyebrow at that remark "I thought you told me everything looked unfamiliar and that you were lost in your own region?"

Red quickly looked away "….THAT'S BESIDE THE POINT!" He regained his composure "Look….I wanted to ask….I could show you around…..if you'd like?"

Leaf looked at Red like he was the most helpless man in the world "Are you asking me on a date?"

Red immediately shot back "HELL NO!" He then slowly turned away "…but if I was…..and I'm not mind you…..what would you say?"

Leaf tipped her hat over her eyes and made the biggest evil smile over her face "_Oh I am SO going to torture this poor bastard!"_

She stretched out and looked to the sky "Well…..if I were to accept….and not saying I am…"

Red immediately chimed in "CAUSE I HAVEN'T ASKED YOU YET…..RIGHT?"

Leaf nodded "Uh-huh! I would sayyyyyy…perhaps"

Red couldn't comprehend what he just heard "What kind of an answer is that?!"

Leaf laughed at him "Exactly what it means Red: I may agree…..but I might change my mind"

Red raised his eyebrows "Oh yeah?…well perhaps we'll go out tomorrow night"

Leaf tilted her head back and forth in thought "Perhaps…I'll wear something nice for the occasion…."

Red raised his fist in victory "Alright! Then it's settled!"

Leaf winked as she waved her finger in front of him "PERHAPS!"

Red narrowed his eyes "Ok! I really hate that word now!" he stated as he summoned charizard "Let's go home!"

Leaf stood there stroking her chin "Well….perhaps I'll get on charizard…."

"SHUT UP AND GET ON LEAF!" Red demanded and as they rose into the air, Red couldn't help but worry about what he just got himself into.


	9. Chapter 9: A Date They'll Never Forget

Chapter 9: A Date They'll Never Forget

It was the day of Reds big date with Leaf and as the day drew on, Red decided to head over to Blues place to get some advice from him.

"Alright! Let me get this straight!" Blue rubbed his temple while trying to comprehend what Red was telling him "Metronome….into Earthquake….wins the match"

Red turned around all excited "I KNOW RIGHT!"

Blue shook his head "Is that even legal?"

Red shrugged "I don't know but it worked" He took a sip of water "Anyway, her second match went over a lot better"

Blue nodded "I heard it was a complete curb stomp!"

"I..I wouldn't say that….but it was definitely a lot more…thought-out" Red nervously responded.

Blue scratched his head "By the way, I saw Leaf yesterday and said 'Hi', but she didn't say anything!"

"Gee Blue! Maybe it has something to do with you saying and I quote 'I don't want to see your face or hear your voice until you're strong enough to face me!'" Red sarcastically replied

Blue laughed "I did say that didn't I?"

Red laughed as well and motioned to the chair beside Blue. "Hey do you mind passing me that vest?"

Blue grabbed it and threw it at him "Here!"

Red put it on and looked at himself in the mirror; he was all ready for tonight

"…okay then" he sighed.

Blue got up from his chair and walked over to his friend "Red why the hell are you getting ready at my place?! Don't you have a house of your own?"

Red shrugged "Yeah, but Leaf said she needed to be alone when she got ready"

Blue raised his eyebrows "She kicked you out of your own house huh?"

Red crossed his arms embarrassed "SH..SHE DIDN'T KICK ME OUT OF MY OWN HOUSE!" His eyes darted from side to side "…okay…..maybe she did"

Blue chuckled while shaking his head "You're hopeless"

Red narrowed his eyes and pointed at him "Hey I came here for your help!"

Blue pointed at him right back "For crying out loud Red! Didn't you plan any of this out before you asked her?"

Red looked around nervously "Well….it was kind of a spur of the moment thing…."

"Spur of the-" Blue suddenly had the widest grin "You had her at Cerulean Cape didn't you?!"

Red looked away "….yeah…so"

"I can't believe you actually still believe in that fairy tale?" Blue laughed

"Hey! Are you going to help me or not!" Red yelled.

Blue raised his hands in the air and grinned "Don't worry lover boy, I got everything taken care of for you!"

Red looked away "_Why am I worried all of a sudden?_"

Blue pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Red

"I found you a restaurant; reservations and everything have been taken care of"

Red looked at the piece of paper "The Bridge De Fountana? Is it a good restaurant?"

"Trust me! You'll like it!" Blue reassured and looked over at Red who was looking a little pale

"You alright?"

Red looked down and twiddled his fingers "Yeah, it's just been a little while since I've been on one of these….kinda nervous"

Blue raised his eyebrow "Uh, Red haven't you lived with this chick for a while? You already know what she's like!"

Red nervously looked away "Yeah…but still…."

Blue patted his shoulder "Alright, bit of advice for tonight Red: When you get there, make sure to comment on how good she looks, women love that!"

Red scratched his head "Uh…what should I say?"

Blue raised a finger in the air "One second!" He pulled out a piece of paper and hastily wrote something down and handed it to Red "Here, say this!"

Red looked at what Blue had written down and immediately went wide eyed

"I'M NOT SAYING THIS!"

Blue glanced around "Why not?"

Red pointed at the paper "If I say this, I'm going to get slapped!"

"You got a better idea?"

Red looked down "….no"

Blue shook his head "Then say it! Worked on every girl I've ever dated"

Red looked at him confused "What kind of girls have you dated….In fact, when do you have time to date? You're always at the gym!"

Blue sharply pointed at him "Hey! I will have you know I have laid-"

He was cut off by Reds hand over his mouth "I don't want to hear about your experiences!"

As the two continued to argue, they heard the clock chime 7 bells and Red sighed in response

"I gotta go….it's time"

Blue nudged him in the side "Well go get her champ! You got nothing to worry about!"

Red waved as he walked out the door "Yeah…yeah"

Blue shook his head as he watched Red walk down the road

"He's doomed…"

Meanwhile, Leaf was all dressed up waiting for Red show up.

"He should be here soon!" She happily stated to pikachu and jigglypuff, who were perched on her shoulder.

After a few minutes of looking out the window, they spotted Red walking up the driveway

"There he is!" she said with glee and ran outside

Red, in the meantime, was attempting to memorize the advice Blue gave him as he walked up to the house.

"Well hello there stranger! Fancy seeing you here!" He heard a familiar voice call out.

Red looked up to see Leaf standing there in a sparkling black dress

"_Holy moley!_" he thought to himself

"Uhh…good evening Leaf…..you look nice"

She flipped her hair "You think so?"

Red was feeling around his pockets "I…uh...wanted to tell you…something" he pulled out the piece of paper that Blue gave him and started to read it

"Umm….there are many women roaming in the tall grass"

Leaf nodded "Uh-huh…"

"But…umm.. you're the only one I want to get in the critical zone... and put in my…..master ball"

Red looked away "_WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST READ!"_

He looked up to see Leaf staring at him, trying to comprehend what he had just said.

She stared blankly at him for a few seconds and then started laughing so hard that she almost fell over

"Oh my god!" she laughed "Is that the legendary pick-up line of the great EX Champion?" she put her hands in the air "OH! I bet ALL the ladies fall for that one right?"

Red embarrassingly walked up to her as she tried to compose herself

"Oh HA-HA very funny!" He grabbed her hand "Let's go inside!"

As they proceeded to walk inside, Red looked away and muttered "…..I didn't say it right did I?"

Red decided it would be best to give all the pokemon a rest for the night, so he and Leaf were killing time waiting for a taxi to arrive.

The two were looking at themselves in the mirror when Leaf stated "You know, guys have it so easy when it comes to dressing formally"

Red looked over "Uhh…how so Leaf?" He inquired as she adjusted his tie

"Well, pretty much all suits look the same; I on the other hand, had the impossible task of picking out the perfect dress for tonight….and I think I picked the right one!"

Red had to agree, the dress was very beautiful…..and then it dawned on him

"Where DID you get that dress from? I thought you only had 2 outfits?"

Leaf looked away "I…bought it….with our funds"

Red looked shocked "…..our….funds…"

"Well, you took most of my prize money to start refunding people for my crimes and-"

"OUR FUNDS!" He immediately cut her off "THERE'S NO OUR FUNDS!"

Leaf gave him a sad glance "You…you don't like the dress Red…" she pouted.

Red scanned her up and down "No! That is...I mean the dress is beautiful….it's just-" he was cut off by a kiss on the cheek

"Thank you for your honesty" Leaf smiled.

Red shook his head in defeat "_I'm not winning this fight am I?_"

Suddenly, they noticed the taxi pull up to the driveway as pikachu and jigglypuff came to see them off.

Red bent down to the two pokemons level "Okay you two! The house is yours tonight" He pointed at them both "No parties! And make sure the house doesn't burn down!"

"And if you're good, maybe we'll bring you something back!" Leaf chimed in

"Pika!" "Jiggly!" They happily responded.

Red turned to Leaf "Shall we?"

Leaf grabbed his hand "Let shall!" she replied as they walked out the door and got in the cab

"Where to?" the driver asked and Red handed him the piece of paper "Yes sir! Right away!" the driver responded.

As they drove towards their destination, Leaf looked around in awe while Red was just sat there staring out the window.

"I've never rode in a cab before! This is exciting!" she claimed.

Red continued to look out the window "They just recently got brought over from the Kalos region…"

Leaf looked down and held his hand "Hey! We've been living together how long? Why are you so nervous right now?"

Red looked over with concern "This is a bit different circumstances than usual….and I want to make it special…"

Leaf smiled "If it makes you feel any better, all the guys I've ever been with never wanted to go on dates"

Red raised his eyebrows "Oh really? What did they want to do?"

Leaf immediately looked away "Uhh…maybe we shouldn't talk about this right now…"

Red shook her shoulder "Leaf! What did you do?"

She looked down at her feet "Let's just say…sometimes, I had to do stupid things to either get a job done or get a roof over my head okay!"

Red looked down at her with pity in his eyes "Oh…Leaf….I'm sorry"

He pulled her in close "I promise, you'll never have to live like that again….."

After a few minutes they reached their destination

"Here it is sir! The Bridge De Fountana as requested" the cab driver said.

Red glanced out the window "Uh..thanks"

The two got out of the taxi and after Red paid the driver he walked over to Leaf who was staring at the restaurant in awe

"What kind of place is this?" she asked.

Red scratched the back of his head "Actually…I don't know, I asked Blue to make the reservations"

Leaf rolled her eyes "Oh boy…."

"Hey! I don't know what kind of restaurants have popped up since I've been gone!"

Red looked up nervously as they walked towards the restaurant "and I trust Blue….I think"

As the two walked in, they were greeted with a giant room full of people in tuxedos and fancy dresses.

Red and Leaf looked around curiously

"So….what do you think" Leaf asked.

Red bit his lip "I think Blue's good as dead next time I see him!" He turned to her "We can't eat here, this is where all the rich people go…and we're not even THAT dressed up!"

Leaf shook her head "We have to eat here, you have the reservation remember?"

All of a sudden a jolly gentlemen came running up to them "Sir! Ma'am! Good Evening!" he motioned them into the restaurant and they cautiously followed him

"My name is Kirk, I'll be your waiter K-I-R-K"

Red and Leaf looked at each other

"I'm Red"

"Uhh Leaf"

"Kirk smiled "Interesting names, Good to see you both!"

The two sat down and Kirk happily presented Leaf with the menu "Ma'am, this is the menu for tonight!"

Leaf scanned it up and down until she finally asked "Uhh..Kirk what do you want me say?"

He leaned down to her level "You are supposed to say…Kirk it looks good to me!"

"Alright! Kirk it looks good to me!" she laughed

Red also took a menu as Leaf continued to laugh

"Hey! He makes me excited to be here!" she smiled

Red scanned through the menu and gasped so loud everyone in the restaurant turned to him.

Leaf quickly looked over at him "Red! What's wrong?!"

"Oh nothing…it's just that the roast farfetched is the same price as a big pearl!"

He leaned forward "I didn't bring enough money to afford this" he panicked.

Leaf smiled and raised her hand "Don't worry Red, I'll take care of it"

Red blinked in disbelief "You…..how? If I don't have the money, I know for sure you don't!"

All of a sudden, an evil smile curled over Leafs mouth and Red knew exactly what she was getting at

"Oh-no!" he retorted.

She continued to smile at him "Oh yes!"

He leaned forward "No!"

Leaf leaned forward as well "Come on Red! You know you want too!"

She stroked his hand and he gritted his teeth "We are not stealing it!"

She raised her finger up "Okay, first of all, it's called a dine and dash and second, we'll be doing dishes for the rest of our lives if we don't!"

Red slammed his head on the table in defeat.

He then slowly looked up glanced around to make sure no one else was listening and quietly asked "….How do we do it?"

Leaf looked around as well "You stay here; I'm going to go find us an exit"

She stood up and Red pulled her back down "And what am I supposed to do while you're gone?"

Leaf shrugged "I don't know? Order something!"

Leaf walked off and Red continued to look at the menu until Kirk showed up

"Sir, have you made a decision?"

Red quickly glanced up "Uhh…yeah Kirk, give me a second"

"_Now what's the most expensive thing you have to offer_" He thought to himself.

After a few minutes, Leaf returned with a smile on her face

"So, how'd it go?" Red inquired

"There's a storage closet in the back with a window that we can escape out of, did you order?"

Red pointed up "Here it comes!"

"Oh boy! I'm starving!" she excitedly claimed as the food was laid out before them.

After a few minutes of eating, the two finally finished

"That was the greatest food I've ever tasted" Leaf said happily.

Red had to agree, it was really good, but his stomach started to turn as the time of action drew closer.

"Ssso Leaf….what's the plan" he nervously asked.

She held his hand "You just leave it to me! When I give the signal, you run to the closet…I'll be right behind you"

Red looked around "Uhh..okay"

"_What's she going to do?_"

Leaf got up out of her seat and started weaving through the tables until she knocked one couples glassware on the ground

"OH GEEZ I AM SO SORRY!" she apologized "HERE LET ME HELP YOU WITH THAT"

Everyone in the restaurant turned to see what all the commotion was and Leaf motioned for Red to get going.

He immediately ran as fast as he could to the storage closet, never stopping once to look behind him.

"_This is insane!"_ he thought to himself as Leaf came running in after him

"We don't have a lot of time! Quick! Give me a boost!"

Red knelt down and helped Leaf up to the window

"Here grab my hand!"

He did as she commanded and within seconds they were outside.

Red looked around in a panic "Ok…what now?!"

Suddenly Leaf threw her shoes into his arms

"What are you doing?"

She pointed at him "I refuse to run in heels!"

"Wait wha-"

She grabbed his hand and the two started running as fast as they could and didn't stop until they reached a quiet alleyway.

"I….think…we're…safe" Leaf stated as the two panted heavily.

She then turned to Red "So….what did you think of your first heist?"

Red was still bent over, breathing heavily "Honestly…." He looked up at her and smiled "That was quite exhilarating!"

She smiled back at him "Oh really! You know, my offer to become a first class thief still stands!"

Before Red could respond Leaf swore she saw a light coming towards them and glanced over in distress

"_Oh no! We're busted! I gotta think of something quick…."_

She turned to Red who was going on about something

"You know Leaf, I just thought of something" He stated "The reservation was made by MMMPH!"

His statement was cut off by Leaf who immediately pressed her lips against his as an officer walked towards them

"What's going on over he-" the officer stammered at the sight before her.

Leaf shyly looked over "Oh…is everything ok officer?"

The officer nervously looked away "Uhh…yes! Sorry to bother you!" and walked away

Red was trying to comprehend what just happened "WHAT WAS-"

Leaf pressed her finger against his lips "You're lucky, normally that happens at the end of the night!" She blushed "I'm sorry, what were you saying before I cut you off?"

"_I didn't really mind…feel free to do it again_" he slyly thought.

Red then cleared his throat "As I was saying, the reservation was under Blues name" He crossed his arms in triumph "So he should be getting the bill not us!"

Leaf laughed "There is justice in this world after all!"

Red laughed too and looked away "Leaf…I'm sorry this night hasn't really been going according to plan…"

Leaf shrugged "I don't care! I'm having a great time! And now that we've gotten what you want to do out of the way, we can do what I want to do!"

"Uhh…what would that be?"

She grabbed his hand "Come on! I'll show you! It's not far away"

The two walked a few blocks until they came across a building with a giant neon sign on it.

"The Shiny Mankey?" Red squinted as he looked at the sign "What kind of place is this?"

Leaf smiled "It's called a berry juice bar!"

Red looked over confused "A what?"

"A BERRY JUICE BAR!" Leaf clarified "Have you ever been to one before?"

"Uh…never had the pleasure"

Leaf playfully patted his shoulder "Oh honey! You have not lived yet! They take berries and crush them down to make all kinds of drinks!"

Red nervously scratched his head "I thought berries were specifically edible for pokemon only?"

"I know! That's part of the fun!"

"Oh boy…." Red sighed as Leaf dragged him in.

The bar was a spectacle to behold: lights flashing and music blaring

"_Oh god! I think I'm blind!"_ Red thought to himself as Leaf motioned him to a pair of stools bar side.

"Bartender! Two Occa Berry Cocktails…in a clean glass!" Leaf called out.

Red looked over at her confused "Occa? Aren't those the berries that reduce fire damage?"

"Yep and you're going to love the way it tickles as it goes down!" Leaf replied with joy.

Red looked around nervously "Uhh..maybe I'll just have a lemonade"

Leaf pointed at him "Aww! What are you so afraid of Red?"

Red pointed to himself "I never agreed to harm my body!" he hastily replied.

After a few seconds, two glasses filled with a neon red coloured solution were placed before them.

Red's nose hairs singed as he smelt the red concoction

"How…do…you…drink…this?" he winced

Leaf smirked as she raised her glass to her lips "LIKE THIS!" She downed the entire drink in one gulp and slammed the glass down.

"MMM! That smarts!" she exclaimed with glee as her body shook "Keep em coming!"

Red lifted the red tonic to his eye level

"_I'm going straight to the distortion world for this aren't I?"_ he thought as he observed the contents

"_Screw it!" _he downed the whole thing and immediately started choking.

Leaf lifted her glass in celebration "WOO! That's how you do it Red!"

Red, meanwhile, was bent over trying to compose himself

"It…feels…like my soul's….on fire"

Leaf patted his back "Ah! You'll get used to it! Bartender! Two more!"

Over the course of the next hour, Red decided to stop drinking the stuff as it was making him feel weird. Leaf, on the other hand, was 10 drinks in and showed no signs of slowing down.

As the night progressed, Red noticed that Leaf was starting to act a bit strange.

"Ok so get this!" Red started "So the ursaring said hyperventilating? I thought you meant hibernating!"

Reds joke made Leaf laugh so hard she almost fell on the floor

"_Okay…I didn't think it was that funny"_ he thought to himself and looked over at Leaf with concern "Leaf, you ok? You look a little woozy"

She slumped her arm around him "Do I?"LetmetellyasomthingRed" Leaf slurred "The law may thinks I'm outta my mind…." she poked his cheek "But ol Leafy here's gonna pull the wool over the fuzzes eyes!"

Red raised his eyebrow "What the hell are you talking about?!" he immediately looked at the number of drinks she had scattered amongst the table.

"Leaf it's the stuff! It's making you talk funny!"

She waved her hands in the air "Impassible!" Leaf shouted as she started looking around

"Hey! Do we have any more of those little shelder crackers left?"

Red raised an eyebrow "You ate em all!" he muttered.

"Aww….they were so good…" she pouted "Maybe I'll just have another Occa berry juice! They're pretty filling right?"

Leaf raised her hand in the air signalling for another drink, but Red stopped her

"I think you've had enough for tonight!"

Leaf swatted his hand away "WhattameanENOUGH!" she argued and looked at the glasses strewn about the table "I'veonlyhad….2"

Red grabbed her hand "Come on Leaf, let's go home!"

"Hang on!" She wrestled away from him and climbed on top of the bar "I have an announcement to make!"

Red embarrassedly looked away "Oh god no…."

She raised her glass in the air "I Leaf Green….some Shadow kindof Thief: Hereby Vow to Become The Best Pokeman Trainer likenooneeverwas…..in the UNIVERSE!"

Everyone in the bar roared in approval, raising their glasses to her and Red put his head down in shame as he watched her wave around.

"For god sakes Leaf! You look like you're walking on air!"

"On air?" Leaf yelled "I am the AIR!" She raised her hands in the air "I'M THE WIND!...WOAH!"

Leaf lost her footing and tumbled off the bar

"LEAF!" Red yelled as he managed to catch her, but the two ended up both falling on the ground and everyone applauded

"My Hero!" Leaf swooned as she wrapped her arms around Red and squeezed him tightly

"Hey! Hey!" Red protested trying to get to his feet "Come on let's go!"

The two got up and Leaf waved as she left "Goodbye my people!" she yelled as they exited the bar.

Over the course of the next few minutes, Red somehow managed to flag down a taxi and was currently attempting to climb the stairs to his house with Leaf slumped over his shoulder.

"_It's like I'm carrying dead weight!"_ he thought as he attempted to ascend the stairs.

Red looked over to his partner who was completely out of it and could barely keep her eyes open "Hey Leaf, would you mind helping me out here?" he asked trying to pull her up

"NoIcouldnteatanotherbite…"Leaf dully responded.

Red shook his head "Fine! I'll do it myself!" he stated as he finally managed to drag Leaf to the door and open it.

Pikachu and jigglypuff immediately ran to the door in concern "It's ok guys" Red reassured them "She's just tired, I'm going to take her to her room"

Leaf looked over at him "You're putting me in a tomb?" she muttered

"No! ROOM! Leaf!" Red clarified as he proceeded to drag her upstairs and placed her on her bed.

He sighed as he looked down at her all sprawled out and shook his head

"….never a dull moment with you huh?" he muttered as he bent down to her level and brushed her hair away from her face "…and that's probably what I like about you the most" Red whispered and kissed her forehead

"Good-night" he quietly said as he closed the door and walked back downstairs

Red then reached into his bag "Here guys, I brought you some food back with me" he put the food down for the two pokemon and jigglypuff tapped his arm in concern "Don't worry jigglypuff, Leaf's fine, she's just tired that's all" he said as he started to yawn as well "I think I'd better turn in too…"

Red patted them both of them on the head, went up to his room and closed the door

"_Well way to go Red!"_ He thought to himself as he sat on the edge of his bed

"_I don't know if I should consider tonight a success or a colossal failure…."_

Suddenly, Red's door flung opened and he looked up to see Leaf standing there half asleep

"Leaf! What are you doing here? I thought you were asleep?"

"I…have a confession to make!" she states swinging her finger around and motions behind her "I can't sleep in that bed! It's too uncomfortable!"

Red looked behind him "Well, you're not sleeping in this bed if that's what you're getti- HMPH!"

His words were immediately cut off as Leaf suddenly sat on his lap

"_Okay…." _He thought as she then proceeded to wrap her arms around his neck

"_OKAY! I take it back! It wasn't a colossal failure at all!"_

Leaf sighed as she propped her head against his shoulder "There…much better"

Red's eyes were rapidly darting back and forth as he tried to yell through his teeth "Leaf…what….ever…. you…. do….don't…. make…any…sudden…movements…."

Leaf pressed her finger against his mouth and seductively smiled at him "Now..I know what you're thinking…."

"Oooh…really?" he nervously responded

Leaf nodded "Yes..because I'm a psychic type" she claimed as she leaned closer.

Reds eyes went wide "Rrreally…cause…judging by your name…I would have thought you were a grass type…"

Leaf raised her eyebrows "and judging by your name I'd say you were a fire type…." She retorted as she kept leaning closer to him

"….and you know what they say about fire and grass types?"

Red could barely breathe "Nnnnooo..whhhattt?"

Leaf whispered right in his ear "…they're super effective!"

Red was going out of his mind! He wanted to kiss her so badly, but ended up retreating to his thoughts instead.

"_Okay Red, lets think about this for a second; Leaf's not all there right now and she would be furious if she found out you took advantage of her!"_

Red raised his eyebrow as he continued to think_ "Then again….knowing Leaf, she'd probably say something like 'way to not take the chance when you had it Red!'If I didn't…and she'd probably wink at me too"_.

After a good minute of pondering, Red finally decided against it _"It just wouldn't be right to take advantage of her in this state; I'm not like that….._"

He looked down to see that Leaf was now fast asleep

"Alright you win, this bed's yours for tonight" he sighed

"_If I let her sleep on me all night, I won't be able to walk in the morning!" _He slowly freed himself from her grasp and laid her down in his bed

"_Guess it's couch for me tonight…"_ he thought as he made his way downstairs to the kitchen

"_First, I think I need a water to put these flames out…_" He poured himself a glass of water and then proceeded to lie down on the couch.

As he was dosing off he could feel two individuals snuggle up beside him

"_Alright_ …_you two can sleep with me….as long as you don't shock me to wake me up" _he thought as he dosed off.

**The next day**

Red's eyes fluttered open to the sound of knocking coming from the door

"_Who the hell could that be at this hour?"_ he thought as he slowly made his way to the door.

He opened it to reveal his spikey hair friend

"Hey Red!" Blue greeted.

Red put his finger to his mouth "Shhh! You'll wake everyone!" he whispered.

Blue looked confused "Uhh..it's almost noon Red"

Red glanced over at the clock and waved Blue out "Let's talk outside"

The two stepped out and decide to walk down the road a ways

"So…how was it?"

Red was still half asleep "How was what?"

Blue glared at him "The date you idiot!"

Red cynically thought to himself "_Oh, I only stole a meal from a high class restaurant…which you may be paying for, ran for my life, watched Leaf drink herself out of her mind, dragged her home and nearly got seduced…..yeah I'm not telling you that….."_

"Oh…we…just talked" he lied.

Blue slapped his forehead "YOU HAD HER ON A DATE AND YOU JUST TALKED!" he immediately pointed at Red "You did nothing! Red you didn't do a damn thing did you?"

Red scratched the back of his head "I…held her hand"

Blue looked shocked "…you held her hand…" a smile formed on his face "Red you're on your way!"

Red glanced over "….you think so?"

Blue patted his shoulder "Yeah! That's more action then you usually get on a first date! We should celebrate tonight!"

Red yawned "Can we rain check please? I'm really tired…"

"Alright you party animal! And make sure to tell that girl of yours to keep getting stronger if she wants to face me!"

"I'll give her the memo…" Red waved as he walked back to the house.

As soon as he got back, Red released all his pokemon and gave them something to eat "Sorry, I'm late today guys…" he apologized

As Red was feeding the pokemon, he heard Leaf stirring above him "_She's alive…"_ he thought as he walked towards the stairs.

Leaf finally emerged from his room; she looked like a complete mess

"Good morning sunshine!" he greeted.

She pointed to his room "…how did I end up in here?" Her eyes went wide as a thought crossed her mind "Dddid….we?"

Red started flailing his arms as he ran up the stairs "Nnnoo NO! Nothing like that happened!" he protested.

Leaf looked towards Reds room "…then how did I end up in your room?"

Red nervously scratched the back of his head "Well, it's kind of embarrassing to admit….but you demanded that you wanted to sleep in my bed and kicked me out!"

Leaf chuckled to herself "Whether you're telling me the truth or not, I can't remember anyway"

"It's the truth!" Red stammered "You even tried to seduce me to get me to move!"

Leaf wagged her finger in front of his face "I'm disappointed Red! You should have taken your chance when you had it!"

Red immediately pointed at her in response "I knew you'd say that!" He shook his head "Sorry Leaf, I don't take advantage of people"

"And….should we ever get to "THAT" point…you should be aware of it!" He reassured her

Leaf stared at him in shock for a second before she walked towards Red and kissed him square on the lips "You're the only man I know who would admit something like that…thank you"

Red was at a loss of words "Uhh..don't mention it" He could still taste the Occa berry juice on her lips

"Are you okay?" he asked concerned.

Leaf stressfully rubbed her head "It feels like there's a band playing in my head!"

Red gave her a glass of water "Here, this will make you feel better"

"….thanks " Leaf said taking a sip "If it's ok… I'm going to go lie down again"

"Alright! You should rest up today, I don't need a tired partner!"

As Leaf walked to her room she stopped "….Hey Red"

"Yeah?"

She turned to face him "I…had fun last night"

Red chuckled "Yeah…me to!"

Leaf smiled at him "We should do it again sometime"

Red scratched the back of his head "If we do…I'll definitely make sure to plan it out in advance!"

They both laughed and Red couldn't help but wonder what kind of adventures awaited them next.


	10. Chapter 10 Tragedy at Seafoam Islands

Chapter 10 Tragedy at Seafoam Islands

Leaf's eyes fluttered open as the sun crept into her window.

Ever since their date, for the exception of having to explain to Blue the enormous bill that was mailed to him, she and Red hadn't done very much and Leaf was starting to get bored.

"I wonder when Red will set up my next gym battle?" Leaf asked her pink partner as she sat at the edge of her bed.

She was just about to get up, when Red suddenly barged into her room with the biggest smile on his face.

"This is it! This is finally it!" he gleamed as he walked in.

"RED!" Leaf yelled "Have you ever heard of knocking first?! I may not have been decent!"

"_All the better!_" Red sarcastically thought to himself as he sat beside her and patted her hand

"I was just on the phone with Blaine, the cinnabar gym leader and-"

Leaf cut him off "You arranged my next gym battle?!"

Red raised his finger in the air "Even better…We got one!"

Leaf looked around "Uhh…one what?"

"Confirmation of a mystic bird in the seafoam islands!"

Leaf looked at him in shock "No way….you mean?"

Red nodded "That's right! We're going to find it and we're going to capture it! So hurry and get dressed Leaf!" He stated as he walked out of her room.

Leaf, meanwhile, was still contemplating what he had just told her "…a mystic bird huh…."

She got dressed in her usual green outfit and hurried to meet Red.

As Leaf ran outside, Red gave her a confused look "Is that what you're wearing? I thought I told you to wear something warmer!"

Leaf pointed at him in response "Uh Red, you do know that the seafoam islands has a really tropical climate right…you may get a little hot wearing that jacket?" She looked down at herself "and this outfit is special to me….I mean you gave it me…"

Red smiled and shook his head as he mounted charizard "Alright, don't say I didn't warn you!"

Within a few minutes the duo were airborne and were on their way to the seafoam islands.

As they reached the islands Leaf, Red, pikachu and jigglypuff dismounted off charizard and Leaf looked up at their destination in awe.

"So….this is where the legendary pokemon lives huh?" she wondered

Red nodded "Inside that cave lies Articuno, the mystic bird of ice"

He stroked his chin remembering what Blaine had told him "and if I remember correctly, Blaine said that when articuno resided in kanto in the past, it would rest by a small stream that flowed through this cave"

Red took a deep breath as he looked toward the cave "_I've chased you across many regions articuno. Today, I will find you….and I will catch you!" _He thought confidently.

Leaf looked down and scratched her head "I still can't believe that the legendary pokemon that I've only heard stories about, is actually down there…..it's so hard to believe"

Red nodded "I know right? But, we're going to find it" he then held out his bag "Speaking of which, Leaf would you mind holding my bag for me? I'll be in charge of the flashlight and figuring out where to go!"

"Thank you for making me a part in this…." she sarcastically replied as she grabbed the bag and the four of them entered the cave.

As they started to walk through the frozen cavern, Leaf looked around to admire its beauty. All the walls were coated in ice and were glistening as the sun hit them

"Wow….how come I've never heard of this place before" she inquired

"That's because this cave wasn't frozen until recently" Red answered "Articunos presence here has caused the whole cave to be covered in a blanket of snow and ice….it's truly beautiful"

Red looked over at his partner with concern "Leaf, aren't you cold?" he asked "I mean, I'm cold and I have a jacket on…..you have a tanktop and skirt…."

Leaf stuck her nose in the air "HMPH! I've lived on the streets for years and faced cold nights worse than this!"

Truth is, she was totally lying to him and secretly cursing herself for not taking Reds advice when he asked.

Red took his coat off and handed it to her "You want mine?"

Leaf waved him off "No! You..you need all the protection you can get!" she stated with a slight chatter of her teeth.

Leaf continued walking ahead unaware that she was now walking on ice.

"WOAH!" she screamed as she lost her footing

Red quickly ran behind to catch her and she wound up falling into his arms

"That's what you get for walking ahead with your head in the air!" Red laughed as he tried to stand her back up

"Thank you for that advice oh great ex-champion…." she stated, trying to catch her breath

"I just figured the "great thief" would be more aware of her surroundings….guess I was wrong" he teased back

Leaf turned her head and glared at him "You…wanna run that by me again buster!"

The two looked ahead to see pikachu and jigglypuff laughing at their squabble

Leaf then looked down to see that Reds hands were still around her waist

"So..umm…are we going to look for this mystic bird or are you going to hold me like this all day?" she playfully remarked

Red quickly let her go "I..I'm sorry! I didn't realize…."

"Sure you didn't" Leaf winked at him and the two pressed on

They continued to made their way further into the cave, but saw no sign of articuno or the stream it was said to be near. The air was now getting thin and the cave was getting colder the further they went in. As such, Red and Leaf were becoming increasingly agitated and discouraged at the lack of results.

"Come on Red! I'm getting tired! Where's this stream you were talking about!" Leaf asked

"I don't know okay?!" He shot back "We've been walking for a while; it can't be that far away!"

Eventually, Red couldn't take it anymore and started to run as fast as he could further in.

"Red! Wait!" Leaf yelled as Red ran ahead of her

"_We gotta be close….we gotta be…"_ he thought as he kept running.

Leaf, pikachu and jigglypuff were all running as fast as they could to catch up to him and once they did; they saw Red just standing there, staring blankly at a dead end of the cave.

Leaf knew what Red was thinking and hesitated to speak up "Red…"

He just continued to look at the wall "There's….nothing" He then looked at the ground "How…..how did we miss it?!" he yelled and pikachu jumped up into Leafs arms

"It's okay…" she stroked its fur "It's okay, just let him vent…." She muttered as punched the rock wall in frustration

"Damn it! How can I not find a 5ft tall ice bird!"

Leaf walked over to him "Red…let's retrace our steps, maybe we missed something?"

Red shot her a glare "We missed nothing! It's not here!" He shook his head and walked past her "I'm cold! Let's go home!"

"Hey!" she yelled "You're just going to give up? Red ignored her and just kept walking "Hey don't ignore me! This is for your mom right?"

Red immediate froze in place as she continued "That's what you're here for right? For closure?"

Red blinked a few times "That's….right" he whispered as he took a deep breath and turned around to face her "You're right Leaf….that's what this is all about"

"I know you're frustrated Red, but you can't let it get the better of you" Leaf smiled, jigglypuff patted his leg and pikachu leap up on Reds shoulder, nuzzling him. They cared so much and he felt like such an idiot for his outburst.

"I'm sorry guys" he smiled back "I….I've just waited so long for this moment….and"

Leaf walked up and rubbed his shoulders "…..and it will happen…I promise! We just have to keep looking"

Red couldn't help but laugh and Leaf looked at him confused "What's so funny?"

"Oh, it's just…normally it's me trying to console you, not the other way around!"

Leaf shook her head "I guess there's a first time for everything!"

They both laughed when all of a sudden it felt as if the cave rumbled slightly

A few pebbles fell on the ground and Leaf slowly grabbed Reds arm "Dddid you feel that?" she hesitated to ask.

Red slowly looked around "Oh my god….it can't be…." he muttered

Without warning, the cave started to shake violently and giant boulders of snow and ice started to fall around them

"The caves collapsing!" Red screamed and grabbed Leafs hand "We need to get out of here now!"

Red, Leaf, jigglypuff and pikachu ran as fast as they could toward the exit, all the while, boulders of snow and ice were falling around them.

As they ran, a stray boulder struck pikachu in the back and it collapsed crying out in pain

"Pikachu!" Red cried out and Leaf immediately spun around and ran back to grab it.

"It's ok I've got you!" she yelled as she picked it up and started running back.

However, just before she could reach Red, a giant boulder of snow fell down and separated them

"RED!" Leaf screamed

"Leaf! Hang on!" Red yelled back as he tried to push the boulder but to no avail

"I….I can't move it!"

The two looked at each other in horror as the cave continued to collapse around them.

"Get outta here NOW!" Leaf finally yelled out

"NO! I won't leave you behind!" he kept pushing as hard as he could "I'm not losing another person in my life!"

"RED! GO GET OU-" Her words were cut off and Red watched in horror as a giant snow boulder fell from the ceiling and crushed her

"NO!" he screamed and started punching the snow boulder "NO!NO!NO!NO!" he kept punching it until his hands were numb.

Snow boulders continued to fall from the ceiling and jigglypuff was viciously struggling as it tried to reach out for Leaf.

Red had no choice but to grab the struggling jigglypuff and make his escape, all the while thinking to himself

"_She's…..she's…..gone_"


	11. Chapter 11: Mastery of Ice

Chapter 11: Mastery of Ice

Snow and ice continued to fall from the ceiling of the seafoam caverns as Red ran as fast as he could to get out.

"_I'm..nearly…there_" he thought as he saw light ahead of him.

With all his strength, Red and lunged towards the light and tumbled outside, a pink pokemon still wrestling in his arms.

"_I…I…made it_" he was panting so hard that he could barely breathe.

Behind him, the entire cave collapsed and boulders of snow and ice now blocked the entrance.

Jigglypuff immediately jumped out of his arms and started trying to dig the snow away from the entrance with its stubby arms.

Red, meanwhile, collapsed to his knees as the image of Leaf getting crushed kept playing in his head constantly "What have I done?" he shouted "I've sent her to her death…" He punched the ground with all his force as tears streamed from his eyes "….it's all my fault…." Red cried, but was brought to attention by a slap to the face.

He looked up to see jigglypuff in front of him also in tears. It tapped his arm rapidly and motioned to the caved in entrance.

Red bit his lip as he tried to explain "Jigglypuff….you know she's…."

But Jigglypuff shook its head as it ran over to the pile of snow and continued trying to dig through it.

Red wiped his eyes, the pokemons determination inspired him "Y..you're right jigglypuff, we should still try to find her…but we're going to need help.."

He reached behind him to grab a pokeball from his bag, but nothing was there. Red went wide eyed as realization set in "All my pokemon were in my bag….and my bag's…with Leaf!"

With no way to get off the island he brought his PokeNav to his mouth and sharply ordered. "PokeNav! Patch me through to the Viridian Gym immediately! This is an emergency!"

* * *

Meanwhile, deep within the seafoam caverns, Leaf lied unconscious on the ground, a blanket of snow and ice covering her.

As she lied there, her mind started to wander and visions started to play through her head.

In the vision, Leaf was flying through a dreary looking forest until she came to an old run down mansion.

Like magic the mansion changed from run down to brand new and two shadowy individuals appeared in front of her.

"Who….who are you?" Leaf called out.

"Leaf…you cannot give up" One replied

"You're strong, remember what we told you…." The other reassured her as the images began to fade away.

"Wait! Come back!" she tried to reach out, but the images faded away and all she could hear was a voice calling her name "Leaf….Leaf"

She looked around trying to see where the voice was coming from "Where are you?"

The voice kept calling out "Leaf….Leaf….Leika!"

Leaf was confused "Huh?"

"Pika!" the voice called out to her.

Suddenly, Leafs body felt numb all over "Pik..a..chu" she muttered as she regained consciousness

"_I…I'm so cold…I can barely move_" she thought as she opened her eyes and tried to lift her head

"Pika!" it called out again, but she couldn't see anything, it was pitch black

"Pikachu! I can't see you!" she tried to shout out.

All of a sudden, she saw a small spark of electricity in the distance and listened as tiny footsteps made their way to her "Pika!" it shouted as it gave her a reassuring pat on the head

"I…I'm glad you're here…" she said with relief in her voice.

Pikachu then jumped onto Leafs back and started rummaging through Reds bag until it found what it needed. It then rolled what felt like a pokeball up to Leafs hand and with all her strength she released the pokemon inside.

Out of the pokeball came charizard, whose flames immediately melted all the snow and ice around her and illumined the area.

"Charizard!" she shouted as she struggled to get up. Her entire body ached from head to toe, but the warmth from the dragon pokemon gave her strength

"_Come on Leaf! Push through the pain!"_ She thought as she finally got to her feet.

Remembering that they were still in seafoam caverns, Leaf looked around for an exit, but everywhere was caved in.

"We're blocked on both sides, we'll just have to pick a route and stick with it!"

Leaf motioned to one of the snow blocked pathways "Charizard! Use your flames and melt that ice!"

Just as charizard started to rear its head back and make a move, the surface they were standing on began to crack.

Leaf quickly looked down "What the?" she gasped as the ground beneath them gave way and crumbled.

Leaf quickly grabbed Pikachu and screamed as she fell down, only to be swiftly picked up charizard. "Nice save charizard!" she complemented and charizard roared as they proceeded to the depths of the cavern.

* * *

Outside, Blue arrived as quickly as he could and was currently talking to Red, trying to figure out exactly what happened.

Blaine also showed up after he heard reports of a tremor in the area.

"Red, I'm so sorry!" Blaine apologized "This island is right on the fault line…but there hasn't been a tremor here in years"

Blaine summoned his magmortar "Magmortar can use its flames to melt our way into the cavern!" he stated

Blue looked at him and nodded "Ok do your best!" he then turned to Red who was sitting on the ground with jigglypuff exhausted "Red! What happened! Are you alright!" he said with concern in his voice.

Red was panting furiously; he and jigglypuff had been digging with their bare hands for hours

"Leaf…she's…dead" he choked out.

Blue grabbed Reds shoulders in shock "WHAT!"

"She…she was crushed by an ice boulder that fell from the ceiling"

Blue just stared at him, he was at a loss for words "_Holy ****"_ Blue thought to himself.

He looked down at Red who was pale as a ghost. "I…I couldn't do anything to stop it…." Red whispered.

Blue remembered all too well how depressed Red got when his mom passed on and he couldn't bear to see his friend go through that again.

"Hey! Red!" Blue tapped his shoulder "Stay with me buddy! It'll be okay….she'll be fine"

Red looked up at him hopelessly and Blue reassured him "I promise! We'll find her!" He then looked over his shoulder and yelled out "Blaine! How are you coming along over there?"

Blaine shook his head "It's no good! The caves so cold, as soon as we melt the snow it freezes on us!"

Red ran up to him "What can we do Blaine?" he asked.

"I'll call and arrange for a digger to be brought here" Blaine explained as he ran to his boat and rummaged around "In the meantime…" he tossed a shovel to Red and Blue "We do this manually!"

Red nodded and started digging the snow away as fast as he could.

* * *

Down in the depths of the seafoam caverns, Leaf looked around, shocked to see that there was another level to it.

"We'll land over there charizard" she commanded as they descended to the bottom.

As she dismounted, Leaf took a minute to observe her surroundings.

Her eyes widened as she saw a giant winding stream; it was the same stream her and Red had been looking for.

"_The stream….it was below us the entire time!" _

She walked over to the edge of the water and sat down, contemplating what to do next

"I really should focus on finding a way out…..but this may be our only chance…" She then reached into Reds bag, pulled out all of his pokemon and summoned them. Leaf also reached into her pocket and summoned clefable.

"Everyone! I'm going to need your help!" she shouted as they all looked towards her

"Look guys" She started "I know right now I should be focusing on finding a way out of this place…..but" She looked down "And I…know this might sound selfish…but Reds dream has been to capture the legendary birds and with everything caved in, this may be the only chance we've got to capture articuno!" she started to shake "I know you're not my pokemon….so if you don't want to…."

She stopped talking as she noticed venasaur had wrapped a vine around her waist and proceeded to place her on top of lapras. Pikachu then jumped into her arms and they all roared in approval.

"You guys…" she smiled "Alright! We'll do it together!" she stated as they made their way down the stream.

After a few minutes of traveling, Leaf saw it, the majestic ice bird of legend, fast asleep on a frozen rock.

"_It's….it's really articuno…the legend…"_

Articuno was sound asleep and didn't stir as Leaf and the other pokemon walked towards it.

Leaf hesitated as she pulled out one of the few pokeballs she had left in her pocket.

"_Here goes nothing!"_ Leaf thought as she threw the ball at the sleeping legend.

The ball barely closed as articuno broke feel and screeched out loud.

"I…think I just made it angry… "Leaf claimed as she backed up in fear.

Articuno spread its wings and started to ascend into the air.

As she watched the legendary bird fly up, it was like a fire lit in Leafs heart; she had to stare fear in the eye and began to shout out

"Creature of legend awaken! Hear my words and feel my wrath for I am pokemon trainer Leaf Green: Shadow Thief!" She pointed at it "And today I will capture you!"

Articuno screeched in response as Leaf looked around at her comrades "EVERYONE ATTACK!"

* * *

The sun was setting outside as Red, Blue and Blaine continued to dig their way into the cavern.

The digger had shown up and the men were currently setting it up.

"It's getting late" Blaine stated as he looked up to the sky "I need to head back to the gym"

He looked over at Red and Blue "You two should go home too! Let the workers handle this"

Blue looked over to see Red still digging as hard as he could. "Come on buddy, you need some rest!" he said patting his shoulder.

Red just continued to shovel "No! I can't…not till I find Leaf and my pokemon…"

"Red! You keep going like this and you're not going to be alive to see them!" Blue yelled

Blaine walked over to him "Red, I promise, you'll be the first one contacted when the diggers find her ok" he reassured.

Red sighed as he dropped his shovel "…okay" he muttered.

Blue put his arm around his friend "Come on…I'll take you home" He pulled a pokeball out of his pocket and summon his pidgeot "Pidgeot, you don't mind a few more passengers right?" he asked.

Pidgeot spread its wings in response and Blue turned to his friend "Let's get something to eat before I take you back, alright?"

Red wasn't very hungry, but he looked down at jigglypuff, who was looking very weak and decided it would be best. "Okay…only if you let me pay" Red replied and the two ascended to the sky.

* * *

The battle within the caverns raged on and Leaf was shouting out orders to every pokemon as fast as she could.

Despite having 7 pokemon on her side, articuno was holding its own no problem

"Charizard use flamethrower! Lapras use hydro pump!" she ordered.

The two pokemon attacked with all their might, but articuno swiftly dodged both of their attacks.

"_Damn, this things good!_ _" _Leaf thought as she continued to shout orders

"Venasaur use lead storm! Clefable use thunderbolt!"

No matter how many attacks she ordered, articuno dodged them and it started to dive towards her.

"Look out everyone! Here it comes!" Leaf ducked as articuno passed over them and used mist try to impede their vision.

Leaf covered her eyes "Blastoise! Rapid Spin!"

As soon as the mist cleared, Leaf saw that articuno was charging right at them and Leaf quickly responded "Pikachu use volt tackle!"

Pikachu charged full force towards the mystic bird, making contact with it, paralyzing it and making it fall to the ground.

Leaf grabbed a pokeball from her pocket "Here we go!" She threw the pokeball at the legendary bird and it enclosed around it.

Leafs heart was pounding as the ball shook a few times on the ground "…this is it!" she said triumphantly.

But all of a sudden, the ball was forced open and articuno broke out, falling to the ground in the process.

Leaf had to admire articunos persistence "It…still wants to fight…I can't believe it!" She watched as it desperately tried to fly in the air

"_I've got to bring it down! And the only way to do that…is to corner it!" _she thought and looked to her comrades

"Ok! Snorlax, clefable and lapras attack to articunos left; blastoise, venasaur and pikachu attack to its right" she commanded

They did as they were told and since it was so damaged it couldn't get away and was trapped between their attacks.

"Now charizard! Use blast burn and finish it!" Charizard cloaked itself in a veil of flame and smashed into articuno, finally bringing it down.

Leaf grabbed her last pokeball "_It's all or nothing right here!_" she thought and threw the ball at her adversary.

It encapsulated articuno and Leaf watched as the ball shook 1-2-3 times and then stopped.

There was no reaction and all the pokemon stared in silence as Leaf cautiously walked up to the ball and nudged it with her foot

"It's….in there"

She quietly picked up the pokeball and showed it to the pokemon "Guys look! We did it!"

Everyone roared happily and Leaf hugged them all "You guys are amazing!"

She ran her hand through her hair and sighed "…wow" she gasped as she brought the pokeball to her face

"Well…lets meet our new companion!"

Leaf released the giant ice bird and took the time to heal it from battle.

"There!" she stated "Good as new!"

Articuno stretched its wings as it looked down at the girl who bested it.

"Hi…my names Leaf and these are my friends…it's an honor to meet you" she greeted "Articuno, I have a friend who's spent most of his life wanting to meet you and I'd really like if you could come with me and make his dream come true" she asked the legendary bird

Articuno nodded in approval

Leaf smiled and looked to her comrades "Only thing is, the entrance of the cave is blocked and my friends and I have been trapped here ever since. Would you know another way out?"

Articuno turned its body and motioned down the stream.

Leaf couldn't contain her excitement "Y..you'll show me the way!" She pulled out several pokeballs "Ok! Everyone return! We're going to get out of here!"

She grabbed pikachu, hopped on charizard and they took off with articuno leading the way.

As Leaf continued to follow Articuno through various passages and caves it felt as if the air was changing.

"_Is…it getting hot in here or is it just me?_"

Leaf looked down to see that the stream of water had changed to a stream of lava "_Are we under a volcano?!_"

As they continued to fly through the cavern Leaf noticed articuno suddenly flew upwards towards a hole in the ceiling.

Leaf held on tight as charizard quickly followed it and within seconds they were outside.

Leaf looked around; they had just escaped through the volcano near Cinnabar Island

"We made it!" she happily stated as she petted charizard "Can we land over there for a second charizard?" she motioned to a small island "I just need to catch my breath."

As they touched down, Leaf rolled off of charizards back and just lied on the ground breathing heavily

"_Another near death escape by the great shadow thief….and I didn't even steal anything_" She thought to herself as charizard, pikachu and articuno looked at her concerned

"It's…ok…guys…I just need a minute" she stated as she struggled to get up and looked at her PokeNav

"I need to call Red and let him know I'm ok!" she stated

She was just about to turn on the PokeNav when an idea popped in her head

"On second thought…." She evilly smiled "I've got a better idea!"

* * *

It was very late when Blue dropped Red off at his house.

Before he left, Blue reassured him that Leaf would be alright and to try and to try and get some sleep.

Red tried his best to fall asleep, but it just wasn't happening.

As he made his way downstairs, he saw that jigglypuff was having the same problem as him. "You can't sleep either jigglypuff?" he asked as he walked towards the pokemon

"…..jiggly" it sadly replied as it jumped into his arms.

He carried the pink pokemon onto the porch and the two sat down and looked at the stars.

"You and Leaf have been partners for a long time" Red stated and jigglypuff looked down "You must really miss her….I know I do…"

He looked up at the stars "When mom passed away, I didn't want to live in this house anymore cause it reminded me too much of her" he said as he started to stroke the pokemons head "But, when you and Leaf came to live with me…. I didn't feel so alone….it gave me a new found hope…"

He looked down at his feet as his eyes watered "and…and now she's…" He couldn't hold it in anymore and started crying "How could I have let this happen?!" he continued to sob.

Suddenly, something jumped on his shoulder and patted his head "Pika…" it said with concern.

Red waved his hand in its direction "Thanks for trying to comfort me pikachu…you're the bes-"

Reds eyes suddenly shot open as he looked over his shoulder "PIKACHU!" he cried in joy as he hugged his old friend "H..How did you get here…last I saw you were with…."

Before Red could finish, a head emerged over the roof of the porch surprising him

"Hi there!" it greeted.

Red fell out of his chair in shock "L-L-L-L" he stuttered trying to say her name, but the words wouldn't come out

"That's right! The great shadow thief herself: Leaf Green in the flesh!" Leaf responded.

Red immediately ran onto the lawn to see Leaf standing on the roof with her hands on her hips

"Seriously Mr. EX Champion! You should know, it would take more than some frozen water to take out the great shadow thief!"

Red looked confused as he pointed at her "How… and why are you on the roof?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?!" Leaf winked as she jumped off and jigglypuff happily leaped into her arms

"Hey partner! Did you miss me?" Leaf asked as she hugged her pokemon.

Red cautiously walked over to her "It's…really…you" his hand shook as he brushed her hair away from her face and caressed her cheek "But….I saw you get crushed by that boulder of ice!"

"Crushed?" Leaf replied and tapped his forehead with her finger "Red, I think you need to get your eyes checked! I got hit in the back of the head, not crushed!"

Leaf waited for a response, but Red just stared at her

"What? No snappy comeback!" she teased "What's happened to you since I've been gone? I'm dissapoin-"

Red suddenly wrapped his arms tightly around her and started crying "I…thought…you…were…gone" he sobbed.

Leaf patted his back "…hey…it's….ok..I'm here…"

As he held her, Red noticed that her shirt was completely soaked "You're freezing…" he stated

"Well…I was trapped in an ice cavern for the entire day with only a skirt and tanktop on"

Red chuckled and squeezed her tighter "Please don't ever leave me again…" he pleaded.

The two just stood there hugging in silence for a few minutes before Leaf finally broke it

"Ok! Before we get too ahead of ourselves, there's something I need to show you!"

Red looked confused "Ookay…"

"_What could she possibly show me?_" He thought as he watched her skip around with glee

"I'm so excited! It feels like I've just made a big heist!"

Leaf raised her hands in the air "Oh! We need to do this the formal way! Close your eyes!" she excitedly said.

Red raised his eyebrow "Seriously Leaf?"

Leaf pointed at him "CLOSE YOUR EYES!" she demanded.

Red did as he was told and Leaf reached into her pocket "Now don't peek! No peeking!"

She summoned articuno from its pokeball and called out "OK! OPEN YOUR EYES!"

Red opened his eyes and nearly fell over at the sight before him

"TA-DA! Isn 't it great?!" Leaf yelled unable to contain her excitement.

Red didn't know what to say, he just stood there with his mouth wide open as he laid eyes on the ice bird of legend he had spent years searching for "Art…ic…uno" he slowly spoke out as he looked over at Leaf

"You….how?"

Leaf shook her head "Oh, it's a long story, believe me!" she said looking up at articuno "Isn't it beautiful?"

Red took a few steps back and ran into the house.

A few seconds later he ran back out holding his pokedex and like magic, the pokedex lit up as information poured on the screen

"This…is…incredible" he whispered

As Red continued to admire articuno, Leaf quietly walked up to him holding its pokeball.

"Here" she placed the ball in his hands "This is what you've been searching for your whole life right? I hope you take good care of it"

Red stared at the legendary birds pokeball for a few seconds before placing it back in Leafs hand and closing it around the ball

"You…caught articuno….not me"

Leafs eyes went wide at the idea "What! Articuno should be with a veteran trainer! Not….someone…like me"

Red shook his head "Fine, we'll settle this the easy way" he chuckled.

Red then turned to articuno and asked "Articuno, who do you want to be your trainer?"

Articuno walked between the both of them, bent down and started nuzzling Leafs face

"Hey! Hey! Me? You're crazy articuno!" she laughed.

The two looked at one another "Alright! I promise I'll do everything I can to be the best trainer for you!"

Red smiled as he walked over to the two new partners "Leaf, you've gotta tell me about the capture…and how you managed to escape!"

Leaf put her finger over his mouth as she reached behind her "Well, I can tell you one thing for sure…." Leaf said handing him his bag "If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have been able to do it and I can't thank them enough!"

Red looked at his bag and smiled "_Guys…."_

Leaf looked down at herself and laughed "Before I tell you the rest, I'm going to change out of these wet clothes and get a hot shower ok?"

Red smiled at her "I think you've earned it!" He watched her walk up to the door and called out "Hey Leaf!"

She turned around "…yeah?"

"I…don't know how to I can thank you enough for all this"

She shook her head "It's the least I could do….and it's still not thanks enough for how you've changed my life!" she giggled and ran inside with pikachu and jigglypuff following her in.

Red reached into his bag and summoned all his pokemon who were happy to see him.

"Thank you for watching over her guys! You're really amazing!" he complemented as he brought out his PokeNav "I guess I'd better call the rescue crew and explain that Leafs ok!"

As he brought his PokeNav to his mouth Red heard a *CRASH* come from upstairs

"_Oh boy! Here for a few minutes and she's already wrecking the place!_" he laughed to himself as walked towards the door.

His expression quickly changed as pikachu and jigglypuff ran to the door in a panic and we're motioning him upstairs.

Red immediately ran inside and nothing could prepare him for what he saw when he ascended those stairs.

Leaf was lying motionless on the floor; face down, with a broken vase shattered around her.

Red looked with horror at the sight before him "_Oh my god!_"

Without thinking, he ran up to her and tapped the floor trying to get her attention

"Leaf! LEAF! CAN YOU HEAR ME!" he cried out, but she was unresponsive.

Red looked over as he saw pikachu and jigglypuff come up the stairs and he yelled out to them "Guys! Don't touch her! I need to call an ambulance!"

As Red brought his PokeNav to his mouth he had so many thoughts running through his head, but one thing was for sure:

Things had just turned from bad to worse!


	12. Chapter 12: Saying Goodbye…

Chapter 12: Saying Goodbye….

If someone had told Red that a short while after Leaf safely made it back home, that he would be sitting in a hospital, waiting for Leaf to regain consciences; he'd think they were crazy.

When it happened, he quickly called an ambulance and Leaf was flown to a nearby hospital, where they told him she had collapsed from shock due to a sudden change in body temperature.

Red was currently sitting in a waiting room with pikachu and jigglypuff perched on his shoulders, waiting to find out if she was going to be ok. He had brought the other pokemon with him too, but they had to stay outside.

"_How did this happen…_" Red thought as he buried his face in his hands "_She was fine just a few hours ago…_"

Red looked up to see a doctor walk into the waiting room with a chart in his hands "Mr. Red?" he asked out loud.

Red immediately stood up "YES!"

The doctor walked over to him and began explaining the situation "Leaf has regained consciousness and is up and about"

Red smiled as he looked over at the two pokemon with relief "That's great! Thank you doctor!" he replied, but the doctor wasn't happy

"Do…you mind if we talk in private?" The doctor asked in a concerned tone.

Red's heart began to beat faster "Umm..okay"

He then gave a quick nod cueing pikachu and jigglypuff to jump off his shoulders and the two walked over to a nearby window.

The doctor hesitated for a second before he asked "Can you answer a few questions for me Red?"

Red really had no choice "Sure…I'll do what can"

The doctor looked at his chart "When's the last time Leafs seen a doctor?"

Red scratched his head "I…I don't know…I don't think she's ever been to a doctor before" he replied.

The doctor sighed and asked his next question "Does she have an immediate family that can be contacted?"

Red stressfully ran his hand through his hair "I..don't know…she lives with me and has never mentioned any family"

Not knowing where the doctor was going with this line of questioning, he then gave the doctor a confused look "Umm…doctor…no offense…but shouldn't you be asking Leaf these questions? She would know better than I do"

The doctor sighed "We tried, but she wouldn't talk to us and we need to ask someone…."

"WHY? Doctor, what's wrong?" Red finally asked

The doctor looked down as he explained "We had originally thought Leafs collapse was from shock caused by a sudden change in body temperature"

Red slowly nodded his head "Right…that's what you told me"

"Well…while that may have been a factor in causing her unconsciousness…we've discovered that something else may have been the cause…."

Red swallowed hard, he knew it couldn't be good, but he had to ask "What…do you think…caused it….?"

The doctor bit his lip "This….isn't easy for me to say…" he stuttered and took a deep breath "Red….Leafs heart is very weak….it barely pumps enough blood to maintain her vital organs and it's a miracle she has enough strength to stand…let alone, do what she does"

Red went pale as a ghost as the doctor continued "If…something isn't done…then…I'm sorry...she won't make it"

Red began to panic as the thought crossed his mind "_L..Leafs…going…to….die_"

"Doctor! No matter the cost! I'll pay for whatever medication she needs!" Red immediately blurted out, but the doctor shook his head

"Red…this isn't something that just happened over night, it's been weak for a long time and it's barely keeping her alive"

"Then what can do?!"

The doctor showed Red his chart "The only way to save her is to remove the heart and replace it with a new one" he explained

Red gasped at his suggestion "A…A…transplant"

"Yes…and unfortunately because success depends on whether the body accepts the donor or not…the odds of her surviving are minimal…but it's the only chance she has…."

Red was frozen like a statue; he didn't know how to respond and the doctor continued to explain

"Now…if we are going to operate, we want to do it as soon as possible. But, we can't start until she gives her consent and since she refuses to speak with us…we were hoping you would speak with her…" The doctor reluctantly asked

Red took a few steps back "_I…have to be the one to tell her…._" He thought as he looked out the window

"If…If she refuses the operation…how long would she have?" Red inquired.

The doctor looked away "Given the state of her heart…days…a week a best"

Red took a deep breath and accepted what he had to do "OK…..I'll talk to her…."

The hallway was silent as Red slowly made his way towards Leafs room and paused as he stood in front of her door "_What am I supposed to say to her….." _he thought as he knocked on the door

"Go away you stupid quacks!" A voice yelled from behind the door "I've not giving you any information! You have no idea who you're dealing with!"

Red sighed "Leaf it's me! Open the door!"

The door immediately flung open and there was Leaf, dressed in a hospital gown and looking quite upset

"It's about time you showed up!" she yelled.

Leaf then grabbed Reds hand, pulled him inside, slammed the door behind him and wrapped her arms around him.

"I've missed you…." she muttered as she buried her head into his jacket

"Leaf…." Red whispered back, not knowing how he was going to break the news to her.

Leaf looked up at him angrily "Can you believe those doctors? Trying to get information out of the great shadow thief! Who do they think they are?" she yelled.

Red didn't respond, he just want to hold her in his arms and Leaf spoke up again "Umm…sorry for worrying you…twice in one day" she stated as she broke their hug.

Red looked down at her "What happened?"

Leaf shrugged "I don't know…I was walking to the bathroom, when all of a sudden everything went blurry and I lost my balance"

Red gave a small nod "..and that's how the vase got smashed"

"yeah…it wasn't the sturdiest thing for me to grab onto…..sorry for breaking it" Leaf apologized

Red shook his head and sighed "…it can be replaced"

Leaf then walked over and patted his shoulder "Well then, let's get out of here! I've been itching to have another gym battle! Wait till they see articuno!" Leaf happily exclaimed as she went to grab her stuff.

She turned around when Red didn't answer her and saw that he was just staring longingly at her

"Oh right!" she slapped her forehead in realization "Now that we have articuno, you probably want to go and find the other mystic birds right?"

Leaf then walked up to Red and rubbed his shoulders "We're going to make that dream of filling the pokedex a reality! You and Me!" she reassured him, but Red still remained silent as tears weld up inside his eyes

"Red….what's….wrong?" Leaf asked concerned "It's ok, I'm never leaving you again….I promise I'll be careful from now on….no more near death experiences for this ex-thief!" she stated as she hugged him again.

Reds mind was racing as he sorrowfully looked down at her "_Tell her already Red! FOR GOD SAKES SHE NEEDS TO KNOW!"_ he yelled in his mind

He finally broke away from her hug as he choked out "Leaf….you're not going anywhere…."

Leafs eyes widened "What do you mean I'm not going anywhere?"

Tears were pouring out of Reds eyes "Why didn't you tell me your heart was weak and that you were constantly in pain!" He cried out and Leaf looked at him like she had just been caught red handed

"Oh….that" she muttered

"YES THAT! I could have helped you!"

Leaf looked away "You've done so much for me already…this was something I wanted to handle myself…."

Red looked at her with disbelief "Handle yourse-! Leaf you don't realize how serious this is!" he yelled, but she waved him off

"I've dealt with it all my life…I don't even feel the pain anymore!"

Red grabbed her shoulders "Leaf you don't understand! Your heart's become so weak that it can barely keep you alive!" he pleaded "That's why the doctors have been trying to talk to you! They don't care about who you are! They need your permission to go through with a transplant!"

He looked her dead in the eyes as he stated in fear "Leaf…if we don't go through with this…then you're…you're going to die…"

Leaf took a deep breath and sat down as the weight of the situation started to set in for her "A…transplant" she whispered

Red nodded "Yes! It's the only way they can save you!"

Leaf then smiled as she looked up and shrugged "Ok! Get me the new heart and I'll be good as new….right?"

Red sighed "Even if you do get a new heart….there's no guarantee your body will accept it and you'll still…"

Leafs heart sank and she buried her head in her hands "and if I don't go through with this surgery…..how long would I have?"

"The doctor…said a week at best"

Leaf looked up at the ceiling and slowly exhaled as she silently looked out the window for a few minutes "So…this is how ends huh?" she finally spoke up

"Leaf…." Red whispered as he touched her shoulder trying to comfort her

"You know…I've always been able to do the impossible and survive impossible situations" She said as she looked down at her feet "To think….my own body would be the thing that does me in…."

"Oh Leaf…I'm so sorry" Red whispered

Leaf held his hand and slowly shook her head "Don't be sad Red….I've never had any real friends….in the public's eye, they'll just see it as a criminal getting what's coming to her…..no one's going to miss me…"

Red immediately yelled "You know that not true! I-"

She cut him off "I know…and believe me….you're the only one who cares…."

Red shook his head in response "Then what does it matter? As long as one person cares: you have a reason to keep on living!"

Leaf stood up and stared him right in the face "Red….I…" She looked so defeated "Alright….I'll do it….for you…"

Leaf then quickly looked away as she started to tear up "It's just….I'm scared….I don't want to die"

Red couldn't take it anymore, he wrapped his arms tightly around her and started crying "I'm sorry….I'm sorry! I wish there was some way I could make this all better…"

Leaf looked into his eyes "You really are too nice for your own good…you know that right?" Leaf then started to lean her face closer to his and Red started to panic

"Wwait Leaf! I don't want to put too much pressure on your heart!" he stuttered, but she continued to lean in closer

"If my heart can't handle this…." She stated as she brought her lips right up to his "…..I don't deserve to live"

She then pressed her lips against his and they kissed for what felt like an eternity, the entire time Leaf thought to herself "_If this is the last thing I do before I die…then at least I can say I died happily_"

Red finally had to break it "Leaf….If I don't let you go now….I'm afraid I never will…." He stated as he backed away

Leaf sadly looked down as the distance between them grew "I understand…."

As Red was about to leave the room Leaf called out to him "Red wait!"

She ran over to him carrying two pokeballs in her hands "If I don't make it through….promise me you'll take care of them for me…..especially jigglypuff, she won't understand…."

Red nodded as he took clefable and articunos pokeballs and Leaf rubbed the back of her head

"Red… you should know that…even though this started as a simple theft….the time we've spent together….they've been the happiest days of my life…you're really an amazing person"

Red had to look away, he really didn't want to say goodbye "Yeah…mine too…I'll never forget you…" he stated as he started to walk out the door

"I..guess…I'll see you on the other side Red…." Leaf whispered and Red slowly nodded

"Yeah….I'll be waiting" he reassured her and sighed as he closed the door behind him.

Red then walked back to the doctor and told him Leafs decision.

"_That was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life…" _he thought as he slowly made his way back to the waiting room where the two pokemon were waiting for him.

As he walked towards the room, pikachu spotted him and jumped back on his shoulder, while jigglypuff looked around, confused why Leaf wasn't with him.

Red bent down and stoked its head "Leaf has to stay here for a while jigglypuff…"

It looked at him completely shocked "….I don't know when she'll be coming back…" he answered as he picked jigglypuff up and walked outside to tell the other pokemon.

They were all really sad when he broke the news to them and Red decided to take clefable, articuno and jigglypuff aside to speak to them in private.

He explained the situation to them so they understood what would happen if Leaf didn't make it through the operation.

"So…don't worry" he finished explaining "I promised Leaf I would look after you all should the worst happen…and I'll do everything I can to ensure proper care for the 3 of you…especially you jigglypuff"

He bent down the pink pokemons level "You and Leaf have been together a long time and even though I'm definitely no Leaf…I'll look after you…" Red picked it up and it wept into his jacket.

"Oh…that reminds me…" he pulled out Leafs premiere ball hat and placed it on clefables head "Leaf wanted you to take care of her hat clefable….she knew how much you loved wearing it"

"…fable" Clefable sighed as it looked at the object that brought Leaf into its life

"And as for you articuno…"

The legendary bird sadly looked down at him

"I know I wasn't your first choice….but I hope you'll accept me as your trainer" Articuno nodded and Red put jigglypuff down as he started to walk back to the hospital.

All the pokemon just looked at him as he walked away; they knew he wanted to be alone.

It had been a few hours since the operation began and Red was quietly sitting in the waiting room when a nurse ran up to him

"Excuse me! Do you own the two pokemon flying outside the building?" she asked

Red ran over to the window to see charizard and articuno flying by Leafs window

"…yes they're mine"

The nurse crossed her arms and sharply ordered "I'm going to have to ask that they either stay on the ground or you put them back in their pokeballs! They're disturbing the doctors who are operating on the patient!"

"Sorry!" Red yelled as he ran outside

"Charizard! Articuno! Come down here!" He called out and they slowly flew down to his level

"Guys…I know you're both worried…but you're disturbing the doctors…please stay on the ground" he said petting them both.

They both looked sad and he reassured them "I know…I'm worried too….but we'll just have to wait"

Red turned to the rest of the pokemon "That goes for the rest of you as well! We just have to let time decide what happens to Leaf…" he trailed off and all the pokemon brushed up against him to comfort him

"Thanks guys…..but I still need to be alone for a bit" he stated as he walked back to the hospital.

Red continued to sit in the waiting room with his face buried in his hands, when he heard footsteps come up beside him

"Hey…" a voice called out.

Red looked up to see Blue standing there "Sorry I couldn't come when you called me….the gym was really busy today" Blue explained as he sat down beside his friend

"That's ok…thanks for coming" Red replied. Blue took a deep breath before asking "So…how's she doing?"

Red shook his head "It's not good…"

He explained to Blue how the circumstances had changed and that Leaf now was in the process of getting a transplant

"A transplant huh…" Blue whispered.

Red nodded "…and there's no guarantee her body will accept the new heart…." he added.

Blue looked up to the ceiling and stretched out "You know….no one's ever backed down from challenge I've given them….she'd better not be the first!"

Red turned to him "I…really don't think she has a say in the matter Blue….."

Blue scratched his head "To be honest with you, even though I haven't spoken to Leaf since we first met and didn't really understand what you saw in her….I think I do now"

Red raised his eyebrow "Oh really…"

"Both you and her have lost everything you held dear and even though you two have different personalities, you have each other….simple as that"

Red looked up "Before I left her…she told me that no one else cared….wait till she finds out you showed up" He slightly chuckled.

Blue shook his head "Well, I know she means a lot to you….so a friend of yours is a friend of mine…"

He then sharply pointed at Red "But…don't tell her I said that!"

Red laughed as he rubbed his temple "You know…you can be a really nice person when you want to be"

Blue crossed his arm "I do that every so often and yet people are always surprised" he laughed as well and leaned back

"You…and…me sitting in a hospital…reminds me of back then…." Blue reminiscenced

Red knew what Blue meant; years ago, Red was in the same situation when his mother was about to pass away.

"I remember" Red muttered recalling what happened "I still can't believe you came to comfort me after all that had happened between us"

Blue frowned as he recalled what happened back then "Yeah…..I had just achieved my dream of becoming champion and you crushed that dream in a matter of minutes…..and when that happened I got so depressed and didn't want to hear from any one! Not even my own grandfather…"

Blue sighed as he continued to think back on that day "But after I heard of your mothers illness I had to decide between pride and friendship…and well friendship won in the end"

Red patted his shoulder "I've always wanted to apologize for what happened back then….we were both young and I was driven to be the best"

He then gave his friend a nudge in the shoulder "But, let's be honest Blue, if I hadn't beaten you back then, you probably would have done what I did and stepped down. Trying to handle the affairs of 2 regions is too much for us now; let alone, back then…"

Blue looked down "You're probably right…" he reached into his pocket and pulled out a deck of cards "You up for a game?"

Red looked confused "Now?" he asked and Blue nodded

"Just like back then….we can mope around while we wait or we can do something to try and keep our minds occupied…either way we're not getting the results any faster" Blue explained and Red smiled as he dealt the cards out.

They played for hours and before they knew it, the sun was setting.

Red stroked his chin as Blue glared at him "….any….kings" Red asked nervously.

Blue frowned before suddenly smiling "…..go FISH!" he yelled out and Red slammed his fist on the table

"Damn it!"

Blue pointed at Reds cards "I know you have 2's give them to me!" Red reluctantly handed his cards over "And that's the game!" Blue said triumphantly

"What's that….50-2 for me! I may not be able to beat you in battle! But I can still beat you in cards!"

Red stressfully rubbed his temple "Ju..Just shut up and deal the cards again! I'll beat you this time…."

Blue looked up at the clock and sighed "It's been 9 hours Red….and still no word…."

Red patted his friend on the shoulder as he looked outside "It's getting late and you have to open the gym early tomorrow….you should go home Blue…."

Blue looked concerned "You sure you're going to be ok?"

Red nodded "Yeah…I'll call you when the operations over"

Blue stood up and began to walk to the door "Alright, take care man!"

"Yeah you too!" Red replied as he also got up and walked outside.

As Red exited the hospital, he saw all the pokemon lying down looking completely exhausted

"Hey! Mind if I join you guys?" Red asked as he sat down.

All the pokemon got up and moved beside him

"She's got to be done soon…" Red stated as he petted pikachu.

They all waited outside for a few more hours before a doctor finally showed up "Mr. Red?" he called.

Red stood up as fast as he could "Yes…" he said waiting to hear the results

"We've finished the operation and…"

Red's mind was racing "_AND…"_

The doctor smiled at him "…the operation was a success! She made it through!"

Red fell to the ground in relief as the pokemon cheered around him

"_Atta girl Leaf….I knew you could pull through_" he thought to himself as the doctor cleared his throat

"Now…we'll have to monitor her for a day to make sure the body doesn't reject the heart and we'll contact you if anything happens"

"Thank you so much doctor!" Red said, barely containing his excitement

That night Red could finally rest easy and he let all the pokemon sleep outside their pokeballs to keep him company. As he laid in bed, Red looked around at all the pokemon around him and muttered "I'm ok mom…I'm with my friends…" before dosing off.

The next morning, Red was awoken by a phone call from the hospital. They told him that the new heart was accepting the body well and that Leaf was now conscious.

Red was so excited by the news that he didn't even eat and flew as fast as he could to the hospital.

As he approached the room that Leaf was in, he was stopped by a nurse "Mr. Red, Ms. Green is still very weak please be careful when talking to her!"

Red nodded as he knocked on the door and slowly opened it "Leaf…" he called out as he made his way in.

Leaf was currently hooked up to numerous machines that were beeping constantly and there were many tubes connected to her body.

Red quietly walked over to her, sat down and held her hand.

Feeling the warmth of his hand, Leafs eyes blinked open as she looked over "…R…e…d…" she tried her best to speak out.

Red gently stoked her hand "Hey welcome back! I told you we'd see each other again!"

Leaf couldn't respond but Red could see that her eyes were filled with sadness "_She looks so scared….I know! I'll try to make her feel better!"_ Red thought as he chuckled to himself

"Remember that poorly drawn picture of you that the officers showed me when we first met? Well…I think you fit that description now!" he joked

Leaf tried to laugh at Reds statement but ended up coughing ferociously

"I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! PLEASE DON'T LAUGH!" he pleaded as she finally calmed down.

Red didn't know what do, he was so afraid the heart would give out at any second and he just wanted to tell her what was on his mind "Leaf…you know my mom left me all those years ago and if you leave me now….I'm not going to be able to have any more women in my life" Red tilted his head back and forth as he thought to himself "Well…there's Blue sister….but I don't know…."

He then smiled as he squeezed her hand "So…what do you say? Let's get you better and get outta here!"

Leaf did her best to force a smile "O…k" she mouthed to him and Red sighed in relief.

It wasn't going to be easy, but he was going to make sure she got better.

* * *

**Update: Hi guys, Bass here. I just want to let you know that updates for this story will be slowing down come next week, for a few reasons. First, life…things are changing for me with work and I may not be able to update every week as promised. Second, after chapter 13, I have ideas for the next chapters, but I don't know how I want to go about writing them (namely chapter 14). Finally, I've pretty much wrote 10 chapters in the span of a month and I don't want the story to end too quickly; this will be my only story and I want to make it last a little longer…mainly cause I'm really enjoying writing it. **

**That being said, I WILL finish the story and to make up for the depressing tone of the past few chapters, I promise the next one will be a funny/romantic chapter. **

**Before I go, I want to give a big shout out to nintendona who's supported this story…pretty much from day 1 and you've always mentioned me in your stories…so I figured I'd better do the same. I just want you to know that even though we live literally a world apart, you're awesome. And to everyone that's been following, I hope you've been enjoying the ride, you're all amazing and I can't thank you enough. As always if you have suggestions (especially for chapter 14) feel free to PM me or shoot me a review and let me know how I'm doing**


	13. Chapter 13: A Day of Romance and Thunder

Chapter 13: A Day of Romance and Thunder

The sun rose over the horizon and slowly crept into a dark room where Leaf lay awake in bed still recovering from her heart transplant.

"_No matter how long it's been, I'm still thankful I'm not in that hospital anymore!_" Leaf thought to herself as she stared at the ceiling listening to the sound of her body rising with each breath.

Her brief meditation was cut short by a knock on the door "Leaf it's me! Are you up yet?" Red called to her from behind the door.

"Yeah come on in Red!" She called out

"Good morning!" Red greeted as he slowly opened the door.

A smile formed on Leafs face as pikachu and jigglypuff ran into her room as well and jumped up on her bed

"Watch out guys! Man with a tray coming though!" Red stated as he placed a tray on Leafs lap that consisted of cereal and toast.

Leaf looked down at what Red had brought her "The usual I see…." She sarcastically replied.

"Hey! Cereal and toast is all I know how to make!" Red retorted.

Leaf laughed and shook her head "Red, you know I have more than enough strength to make my own meals right?"

Red glanced away as she started eating "Yeah…but still"

"Hey! You keep spoiling me like this and I might make you into my own personal butler" Leaf winked at him.

"Ok now you're going a little overboard Leaf!" Red stated as he left her to finish eating

It had been months since Leafs operation. It took a lot of time and effort from both Red and Leaf, but Leaf had finally managed to regain most of her original strength back. Never the less, until she was given the doctors permission, she was told to take it easy. Gym battles, legendary bird hunting, it was all on hiatus until the doctors were sure that Leafs heart could take the pressure of such an ordeal. As such, Red and Leaf were now restricted to doing mundane activities. They would go on walks, play games, pretty much anything but stress themselves too much and despite these setbacks, neither of them minded it at all. Red was happy because Leaf was alive and he got to spend time with her and Leaf was just happy to be on her feet again.

After finishing her meal, Leaf made her way downstairs to say "Hello" to her pokemon.

"Good morning guys!" Leaf greeted while petting articuno

"Here eat up!" She laid some food out for them and Leaf looked over to see Red holding a deck of cards in his hand

"Are you ready?" he asked "I won't lose to you today!"

Over the past few days, Leaf had taught Red how to play Blackjack, but his luck had been less than stellar when it came to beating her.

"Oh! We'll see about that!" Leaf replied as she and Red sat at the table

Red proceeded to deal out the cards and looked at them with a smile on his face

"Check this out" Red said as he flashed a cocky grin "8….15….19!" Red stated with confidence as he laid his cards down "Beat that!"

Leaf glanced over at his cards and then flipped both of hers over "20!" She smiled as she grabbed Reds chips

Red slammed his hands on the table "WHAT!" he yelled looking at her cards "You're spiking the deck aren't you!" Red accused her and Leaf pointed right back at him

"You dealt the cards! You spiked yourself moron!" she teased him.

As the game progressed, Reds chip pile continued to get smaller and smaller and Red, in turn, got angrier and angrier as Leaf kept managing to beat him.

With his last few chips left, Red smiled as he looked at his cards "_There's no way I can lose his one! I'm going all in!_" he thought to himself as he laid his cards down

"20! WHOO!" Red raised his hands in the air and Leaf stared at him for a few minutes before shaking her head and flipping her cards over to reveal 21

"BLACKJACK! Pay up sucker!" she screamed with glee as she grabbed all his chips.

Leaf looked up to see Reds smile quickly fade and was now blinking, trying to comprehend what just happened to him "No….no…." he whispered in disbelief.

Leaf walked over and patted his shoulder "This was fun Red! We should play-"

She was cut off as Red immediately stood up and walked away

"Really Red? We can't win them all you know!" Leaf yelled out to him.

After a few seconds Red came back carrying a board under his arm and slammed it on the table.

"Alright! Enough of this playing cards! We're going to play a real mans game... CHESS! He angrily stated and started to set the board up.

Leaf gave him a confused look "Umm...Red…I've never played this game before"

Red glared at her "GOOD! I HAVE THE ADVANTAGE THEN!"

Once Red finished setting up the board and explaining the rules, the game was afoot.

After a few moves Leaf suddenly cornered Reds king with her knight and called out "CHECK!"

Red immediately looked up completely baffled "Check? I'll see your check!" he moved his bishop and cornered her king "That's check for you!" he said triumphantly

Leaf smiled evilly at him and took out his bishop with her queen "I believe that's check-MATE!" She raised her arms in the air and Red quickly scanned the board in disbelief

"No.." he kept looking but there was no moves he could make "NO! NO! NO! HOW!"

Leaf pointed to her pieces "See…while you busy planning your attack, I took the surprise approach and cornered you!" she explained

Red slammed his fist on the table "I CALL BEGINNERS LUCK! LETS GO AGAIN!"

Leaf closed her eyes and shook her head "Okay…but you're not going to beat me…"

Red glared at her "Oh yes I am!"

Unfortunately for Red, they were five games in and Reds luck hadn't changed.

This game, Red decided to take his time and plan out every move to the finest detail and it got to the point that Leaf was so bored she went into the kitchen to fix herself something to eat.

"Are you done over there?" she called out from the kitchen, but Red raised his hand

"Hold on! I'm a man on a mission Leaf!" Red yelled out as he tried to figure out the best place to put his queen.

Finally he placed the piece down and called out "Ok! Your turn Leaf!"

Leaf didn't even walk over to the board and called out "Kings rook to queens bishop three!" She chucked to herself as she waited for Red's reaction.

After a few seconds she heard him yell out "OH COME ON! YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!"

Leaf laughed as she walked towards him "Well Red, I didn't want to tell you before…but I was once known as the queen of the game corner!"

Red was so upset, he stood up and pointed at her "ALRIGHT! FRIGGING CARD SHARK! CHESSMASTER!" He then pointed to the door "GET OUTTA MY HOUSE!"

Leaf almost fell on the ground she was laughing so hard "Well…." She said as she walked over to his side "I think it's about time for our usual walk anyway…"

Red looked out the window, it was a really dark and gloomy day and Red hesitated "I don't know Leaf….it looks like it could start raining any second….."

She nudged him in the shoulder "AWW! Are you afraid of a little water falling from the sky Red?" She teased and ran out the door

"LEAF STOP RUNNING! YOUR HEART-" Red sighed as he stood up as well

"_You know what….why do I even bother reminding you? You never listen to me anyway!_" he sarcastically thought as he ran out the door after her.

As Red ran up the road he saw Leaf standing there, arms crossed and tapping her feet "You're late champ!' She huffed at him

"Leaf! How many times do I have to tell you? Don't run, it'll put too much strain on your heart!" he yelled clearly concerned, but Leaf just waved him off

"Hey! I gotta break this new heart in somehow!"

Red face palmed, he couldn't believe what he was hearing "Tha-THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS YOU IDIOT!" he shook his head and she gently grabbed his hand

"I'm fine Red, honest, come on! Let's go!" Leaf said as she tugged him forward

Red shrugged and started walking "If you say so…"

The two walked a little ways when they spotted Blue working outside his house

"Well! Well! Well!" he stated as he walked towards them "If it isn't Crimson and Crutch!" he snarkly remarked as they walked up to him

"HMPH!" Leaf looked away as she kept walking past him still remembering her vow of silence until she faced him.

Blue shook his head as he watched her walk by and turned to Red "She's walking much better now" Blue smiled and Red sighed

"Yeah…but she keeps forgetting to take it easy and not put too much stress on the heart"

"I'm sure she's fine Red! Stop worrying" Blue reassured him

Red looked over to her "…someone has to worry about her….anyway, why aren't you at the gym today?"

Blue looked up at the sky "I'll let the clouds answer that question! No one's going to walk to the gym in the rain!"

Red raised his eyebrows "Well…Leaf wanted to walk…so I'm tagging along"

Blue looked over "Speaking of which, you'd better catch up to her; she's going to leave you behind!He said pointing in Leafs direction

Red quickly looked over to see that Leaf was far up the road "Oh right! I"ll see ya!" Red waved as he ran after her.

Red finally managed to catch up and two continued walking until Leaf swore she felt a drop of rain on her face.

Within a few seconds, a few drops turned into a complete downpour and Leaf looked over to see Red holding an umbrella with the most sadistic smile on face "I TOLD YOU SO!" he stated while waving his finger

"Here!" He passed her an umbrella "See never hurts to plan ahead!" he smartly remarked.

Red watched with pleasure as Leaf struggled to open her umbrella "I..can't..get…the…stupid…thing…to open!" she said as she tugged on the umbrella.

Unfortunately for Leaf, she tugged too hard and when she finally opened the umbrella, all the fabric ripped off leaving only the wires.

Red was howling with laughter as Leaf looked completely dumbfounded at what she just did.

She then shot him the iciest glare and Red motioned her over to him "Come over here, I don't mind sharing with you" he laughed.

Leaf quickly ran over and Red casually put his arm around her waist as they walked together.

"You know, I think you planned this too" Leaf teased as she looked up at him.

Red shook his head "Unfortunately, I could never have foreseen you destroying an umbrella" he chuckled

As they walked together, Reds expression became serious as he recalled the events of a few months ago "You know…..this kind of reminds me of when you started walking again…I always had to be on close guard…." He stated and Leaf looked down as she remembered as well.

* * *

**Flashback **

It had been a few days since Leafs operation and Red had brought her to the hospital rehab room to help her start walking again.

Red watched with concern as she tried to get up out of her chair, but to no avail.

"I can't do it Red! It feels like I'm going to collapse as soon as I stand!" Leaf complained.

Red shook his head "Yes you can! Leaf, you have 2 bars beside you, grab onto them and use your upper body strength if you have to!"

With all her strength Leaf pulled herself to a standing position. Her legs quivered as Red commanded her

"OK! Bring your left foot forward!"

Leaf tried to lift her leg but it wouldn't budge "I…I…can't" she said as tears formed in her eyes

"YES YOU CAN!" Red yelled back.

She closed her eyes as she used every muscle in her body to lift her leg up and move forward

"Ok! Now the right one!" Red yelled again and stretched out his hand.

Pikachu and jigglypuff cheered her one as she gradually made her way to the end of the bars

"ONE MORE STEP! GRAB MY HAND!" Leaf did as Red commanded and collapsed in his arms panting ferociously

"Who…would have ever thought… learning to walk again would be….so hard…" she gasped between breaths.

Red looked down at her and smiled as he brought the chair over for her to sit on.

"And just remember…it's only going to get easier from here, I promise!" he stated as he looked up "Alright! Let's try it again!"

**End Flashback**

* * *

"_I never want to experience that again…._" Leaf thought as she was suddenly brought back to the present by Red

"Hey Leaf…" Red said while his eyes darted away "How many guys….would you say you've kissed before?" he asked.

Leaf was taken aback "Where did that come from?" She asked back

"O-Oh…just curious that's all"

Leaf sighed "Too many to count, twice of which was you, in case you forgot" she winked at him and Red looked away

"W-well I just wanted to know…did they ask you first or…did they just do it?"

Leaf rolled her eyes "Oh! They just did it!"

"I…see" Red mulled to himself and Leaf gave him a playful nudge

"Hey, I like the element of surprise…it's kinda my thing being a thief and all"

Red's face was completely flushed "H-how so…"

Leaf then flashed him an evil smile "LIKE THIS!"

She then grabbed the umbrella out of Reds hand and ran a few feet in front of him causing him to get soaked

"HEY!" he yelled and Leaf laughed at him

"You can't stop what you can't see!"

No sooner did she say that and Red ran up to her, snatching the umbrella for himself.

He turned around to see Leaf completely soaked and tipped his hat over his eyes "See maybe if you'd shut up for once, you'd actually get away with it!"

"DON'T YOU SASS ME!" Leaf yelled as she stole the umbrella again

The two continued to laugh and play with each other and by the time they got home, they were both soaked to the bone.

Leaf crossed her arms "Well I hope you're proud of yourself Red! Now we're both wet!"

Red immediately pointed at her "Yeah! Well you'd better not get sick! I refuse to take care of a recovering person who's also sick!"

"Speak for yourself! I don't want a sick caregiver either!" Leaf stated as she tried to wring the water out of her hair.

The two were suddenly interrupted by a loud *BANG* that came from outside.

Red looked out the window to see that the rain was coming down much faster and a storm had brewed. He then looked over to see Leaf curled in a ball on the ground "Leaf what's wrong" Red asked

"Nnnothing…" Leaf quivered.

Red shook his head "Don't tell me you're afraid of thunderstorms"

Leaf shakenly looked up at him "N-no…of course not" *BANG* "Ok…maybe a little"

Red rubbed his temple in disbelief "Leaf, how did you manage to live on the streets and not face a thunderstorm…..Hell, you have a pokemon that knows thunderbolt!" he explained

"That's completely different!" Leaf retorted

"Uhh….how so?"

"That's because…." *BANG* "I know when it's coming…." She quivered.

Red shook his head as he walked toward the stairs "Well I'm getting out of these wet clothes! You're free to do the same!"

As he started to ascend the stairs to his room, there was another loud *BANG* and suddenly everything went dark.

Leaf screamed louder than the thunder could ever hope to sound "WHAT HAPPENED!"

"Powers out…" Red nonchalantly replied.

"RED! WHERE ARE YOU!" Leaf yelled at the top of her lungs.

"Follow my voice and grab my hand!" he responded.

Red listened as he heard Leaf get closer and grabbed something…but it wasn't his hand "Leaf…that's not my hand…you're grabbing a little low" he stated as he felt what he believed to be her hand

"Yeah we'll those aren't my hand either you idiot!" she replied and they both went wide eyed as they realized what they were grabbing

"UHH…" they both said out loud and grabbed each other's hand

"Ok, I always leave some flashlights by the door, in case something like this happened" Red stated as they tried to feel their way to the door.

As they reached their destination, Red found two flashlights and shined one in Leafs face "There you are! HELLO!" he said as he passed her a flashlight

"L-let's just go turn on the generator ok!" Leaf stammered

As the two started to make their way towards the generator, a sudden flash of light and accompanying *BANG* occurred causing Leaf to shriek and jump onto Red

"HEY! GET OFF! GET OFF! He yelled as Leaf was physically trying to climb up him "WOAH!" Red yelled out as he lost his balance and the two fell over.

Red rubbed his head in pain "Damn it Leaf! I'm not some tree you can climb up!" he stated and Leaf laughed at him

"You know that's pretty funny considering my name is Leaf"

Suddenly, the lights came back on and Red looked down to see that he was right on top of Leaf.

The two went wide eyed at this turn of events "Umm…" They stared silently at each other for a second before they burst out laughing.

"Ok! I swear I'm going to go put dry clothes on now!" Red laughed as he walked up the stairs

"Y-yeah me to…." Leaf shyly replied as she followed him

After a few minutes, the storm calmed down, the two had finally managed to get some dry clothes on and were currently sitting on the couch.

Red then passed Leaf a blanket and turned on the TV.

As Red flipped through the channels Leaf stopped him "Oh Red! Stop here please!"

Red raised his eye eyebrows in confusion "Pokemon in Love? Seriously Leaf? I didn't know you were into this kind of thing"

Leafs voice was filled with excitement "OH! I remember seeing posters of this movie when I used to wander around the city…I've always wanted to see it!"

Red sighed "Alright….fine" he really didn't want to watch it, but had to make the sacrifice.

The movie had gone on for at least an hour, but for Red, it felt like an eternity as he sat there with his head resting on his hand, clearly bored.

He looked over to see Leaf tearing up, clearly invested in what was going on.

"_I wonder if I should try….._" Red thought as he stretched out his arm with the intention of putting it around Leaf.

Leaf quickly glanced over and gave him a confused look "What are you doing?" she asked

"_Oh no I'm busted!_" Red thought as his eyes darted from side to side "Umm…yawning"

Leaf shook her head "Red if you want to put your arm around me just do it!" she then grabbed his hand and placed his arm around her shoulder "There much better" she smiled.

Red huffed "I was trying to be stealthy" he lied

"You call that stealthy?" Leaf chuckled "I could see you coming from a mile away!"

With his pride hurt, Red then quickly took the remote, changed the channel and held it above Leafs head "Didn't see THAT coming did ya?" he teased her

"Hey! It was getting good!" she yelled and Red laughed as she struggled to reach the remote

"Oh really? I didn't realize!"

Leaf then suddenly looked down clutching her chest "oh….my…heart" she winced in pain and Red immediately went to her side

"Oh my god! Are you ok?!"

Leaf then deviously smiled as she looked up at him "Yep!" she stated and swiped the remote back out of Reds hands, changing the channel back.

She then looked over to see Red staring blankly at her "Wow! You should see the look on your face right now!" She laughed, but Red wasn't amused and became upset

"Leaf! Stop joking about that! This is a serious issue!" he yelled at her clearly concerned and Leaf crossed her arms

"Wow, you're really that worried about me huh?" she laughed.

Red then grabbed her shoulders and his face went completely serious "Yes I'm worried about you! You….almost died on me….twice…..and I don't want to lose you again…"

Leaf saw that Red was starting to tear up and she gave him a warm smile "I'm sorry…It's just….I've never actually had anyone worry about me before"

She looked away "I mean, on one hand, it's kind of annoying"

Red nervously scratched his head at what she just said, but Leaf reassured him "But…on the other hand…it's really sweet to have someone actually care…"

Red stared into her eyes "I do care about you…." He said as he leaned in towards her

"_Ok Red! It's now or never!"_ he thought as he pressed his lips against hers and waited for either her to pull away or for him to get slapped. To his surprise…neither happened and Red ended up pulling away instead "S-sorry….I don't know what came over me…." He whispered.

Leaf silently blinked a few times before standing up

"Oh Leaf! I'm sorry! Don't be mad-"

"6!" she said as she cut him off

"Huh?" Red asked clearly confused

"That kiss I give it a 6!" Leaf shrugged and started to list the reasons on her fingers "You clearly had to think about it, you showed hesitation and I saw it coming from a mile away!"

Red immediately stood up as Leaf continued "See, whenever I kissed you, I always surprised you! That's what made it all the better!"

"Hey, I'm trying ok!" Red stated

Leafs eyes darted away "So…keep…trying" she shyly replied.

Leaf then looked over to see Red shaking his head "What's wrong?" she asked

"Damn It! I just know I can do better!" Red stated as he grabbed Leaf, pulled her in close and kissed her even deeper this time.

After a few seconds, they parted lips "So?" Red inquired and Leaf scratched her head

"It…was much better…about 6.1"

"WHAT! 6.1?!" Red yelled

Leaf giggled and rolled her eyes "Okay…maybe 8"

Red sighed in relief "That's better!"

Leaf then looked over at the TV and punched Red in the shoulder

"Oww! What was that for?" he winced rubbing his shoulder

"Look what you've done! I'm missing the movie!"

They both sat down and proceed to watch the rest of the movie.

After about an hour, the movie finally finished and Red found himself grabbing a tissue

"Okay…I'll admit…it was actually kinda touching in the end" he wiped his eyes and blew his nose "Don't you think so Leaf?"

As Red looked over he saw that Leaf was leaned up against his shoulder fast asleep

"So much for not wanting to miss your movie huh Leaf?" he stated.

Red was about to wake her up but decided against it "_She's been though a lot…I'll just let her sleep…and I don't mind you sleeping on my shoulder_" he thought as he reached over and turned the light off.

Red then grabbed the blanket at his feet and draped it around the both of them and leaned over on the couch as well.

Before he dosed off Red took a look out the window. The storm had calmed down, but it was still raining "_Man…I haven't seen weather like this in years…_" he thought as fell asleep as well.

* * *

**Update: Greetings ladies and gentlemen! Well, I've been dreading it for like 7 chapters now, but up next is the much feared (for me anyway) chapter 14 aka the zapdos chapter…which I still have yet to figure out how I want to write it. Oddly enough, I've talked about chapter 14 so much that it has some sort of twisted hype behind it. I don't how long it will take me to complete, all I can tell you guys is that some-time in the near future it will show up. I don't know how good it will be! But it will show up! Hope everyone's having a great day and see you next time!**


	14. Chapter 14: The Eye of the Storm

**Update: Well! Here it is! The dreaded/yet much hyped chapter 14 (AKA, the chapter I had no idea how I was going to write). I need to give a huge shout out to Hunter the Weavile, who helped me come up with the idea for this chapter. I kinda took your idea, ran with it and even I'm surprised how it ended up when it was all done. Hope you guys enjoy the chapter. As I said, I had no idea how I was going to write it…but I'm pretty happy how it turned out!**

Chapter 14: The Eye of the Storm

The stormy weather continued to rage outside as Red and Leaf sat on the couch watching TV. It had been a few days since the storm began and although it calmed down at times, the rain hadn't stopped.

"_What's going on with this weather?_" Red thought to himself as he watched the news.

*BANG* the sound of thunder came from outside causing Leaf to scream in fear.

Her scream made Red jump and he looked over to see her cowering in fear "You know, your screams are louder than the thunder could ever manage to sound" he teased and she punched him in the shoulder

"Hey! It's not my fault that it's so loud!" she quivered as she looked up at him. *BANG* the sound of thunder rumbled again and Leaf resumed her fetal position.

Red chucked as he watched her "_I know it's mean of me to think this…. but…she's kinda cute when she's scared_" he thought as he turned his attention back to the news.

"Todays top story: Severe storms continue to cause power outages across the Kanto region. League officials have begun investigating the powerplant near Vermillion city to see if they can find the root cause of this problem. More at 11"

"Hey Red?" Leaf asked turning to Red "Do you think…maybe someone's controlling the weather?"

Red shook his head "Stuff like that only happens in the Hoenn region Leaf! Not around here…"

Suddenly, Reds PokeNav started beeping loudly and he scrambled to answer it "Hello?"

Leaf watched as Red conversed with someone "Yes…Oh Lt. Surge! How's the investigation going….Uh-huh" Reds eyes suddenly widened "WHAT...yes….NOW?...Alright when will the car be here….understood.."

Red hung up the PokeNav and was visibly breathing heavy as he looked over at Leaf "That was Lt. Surge the Vermillion gym leader…"

"What did he say?" Leaf inquired.

"He thinks he's discovered the cause of these storms and power outages…" Red trailed off

"….and what is it?"

"He believes they're being caused by zapdos, the legendary bird of thunder"

Leafs eyes widened "What! No way!"

Red rubbed his forehead "It makes sense, as a kid I remember hearing stories of zapdos creating storms"

Leaf nodded "Yeah...I've heard that story too" she looked out the window "But I've never heard of it causing thunderstorms that last for days"

"Neither have I….something must have happened and I need to find out what!" Red stated as he saw a cars headlights pull in the driveway.

Red quickly put on a rain jacket and was about to walk out the door when Leaf walked up to him

"Right! Let's get to the bottom of this mystery Red!" She happily proclaimed as she put on a rain jacket as well, but Red stopped her

"Leaf I want you to stay here"

Leaf looked at him in shock "What are you talking about Red? I'm coming too!"

Red tipped his hat over his eyes "Not this time Leaf. The doctor hasn't given you clearance to do something this strenuous and I don't want to put too much strain on your heart!"

"Oh would you stop worrying about the stupid heart Red! I'll be fine!" Leaf yelled "Do I look like the kind of person that just sits back while you go and risk your life? Don't you know who I-"

"Yes I know what kind of person you are Leaf!" he said grabbing her shoulders "But I can't focus on zapdos if I'm worried about something happening to you. Please! I'll be fine on my own" he reassured her.

Leaf sadly looked down, as much as she didn't want to admit it, Red was right "Okay….I understand" she whispered as she slowly took her jacket off.

A sad expression formed on Reds face as he looked at her "Leaf….you know I want you to be there with me….but it's for your own safety…." He then grabbed his bag and called out "Pikachu! Let's go!"

Reds partner jumped on his shoulder and Leaf just quietly watched as he walked out the door "Be careful…." She whispered.

After a few minutes of driving, Red finally arrived at the Vermillion gym.

As he walked inside, Red could see Lt. Surge talking with a bunch of officers

" Lt. Surge!" He called out

"Red! Long-time no see!" Surge greeted.

Red decided to cut right to the chase "Is it true? Is zapdos really the cause of all this?" he quickly asked.

Surge nodded "We've sent several people to investigate the old powerplant and they all have reported it attacking them as they entered" Surge then scratched his head in thought "It's strange though, in the past zapdos would always hold up in the old powerplant and feed off the electricity coming from the old cables, but I've never seen it do anything like this before"

Red nodded "I agree, I've heard of it causing storms, but never one of this magnitude! What can I do?"

Surge looked over to the officers beside him "Red we want you to lead a team into the powerplant and catch zapdos at all costs; only then will this finally stop"

Red shook his head "No! It would be too great of a risk for injury if we send too many people…I'll do it myself!"

Surge narrowed his eyes "Are you sure?"

Red nodded "It's my goal to catch zapdos and I'll do it alone"

Surge nodded in agreement "Alright, you are a former champion, so I trust your judgement. What do you need from me?"

"I need you to tell everyone to stay in their homes" Red commanded as he looked towards the powerplant "Things are about to get ugly…."

The rain continued to pelt down on Red as he slowly made his way to the old abandoned powerplant. He slowly looked up at the giant infrastructure as lightning struck around it

"This looks like something straight out of a horror movie huh Pikachu" he said turning to his partner. Pikachu nervously brushed up against him in agreement and Red tipped his hat "Hmph! We've been to Lavender town before…and that had real ghosts….this is nothing!" he stated with confidence as he entered.

The old powerplant was a complete wreck, wires were strewn about the ground and the only light came from the odd spark from a wire. Red decides to summon charizard to help light the way "Careful where you step guys" He warned as the three cautiously stepped over the wires and Red looked around "Now…where could it-"

Red immediately heard a loud screech come from within "This way!" he pointed in the way of the voice. Red, pikachu and charizard walked in the direction of the voice and eventually they came to a giant open area in the powerplant, surrounded by large generators and in the middle stood zapdos, the legendary bird of thunder, crying in pain and viciously trying to pull on something with its beak.

It didn't take Red long to see what the problem was: about midway down zapdos breast, a steel pipe was sticking out of its body "It's hurt…" Red stated as he cautiously made his way towards the legendary bird.

Zapdos quickly looked over as Red introduced himself "Zapdos, legendary bird of thunder….my name is Red the former champion of kanto"

Zapdos screeched as it glared at him

"It's okay…I'm here to help you" he tried to reassure it "I don't want to fight you! I just want to help!"

Zapdos didn't listen and angrily shot a bolt of lightning at his feet as a warning to stay away.

"_I have no choice…I'll have to weaken, catch it and take it take it to the pokemon centre_" Red thought as he jumped on charizard "Charizard! Pikachu! Get ready for battle!" he yelled out.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the house, Leaf was pacing around frantically, she just couldn't get over the fact that Red may be in danger

"I can't just sit around and do nothing!" she stated out loud.

Suddenly, articunos pokeball started to shake violently, letting Leaf know it wanted to come out.

Without thinking, Leaf quickly ran outside and summoned it "Articuno! What's wrong?" she asked the legendary bird as it cried out in distress.

"_It must sense zapdos presence_" Leaf thought to herself as she watched articuno look around frantically.

Articuno extended its wing in the direction of Vermillion city and then bent its head down to Leafs level

"Are you saying you wanna go find zapdos and help Red out?" she asked and articuno and it nodded.

Leaf slowly backed away and held her heart, remembering her condition "B-but…I promised…" *BANG* the sound of thunder rumbled as Leaf quivered in fear "A-articuno…I don't know if I-"

Leaf stopped as she saw articuno staring sadly look at her, it was clearly concerned for Red and its counterpart. "No…I…" Leaf whispered as she stood up and shook her head "No! Red needs our help and no storm or heart condition's going to stop me!" she then ran inside, grabbed her jacket and yelled out "Jigglypuff! I'm leaving! Take care of the house!"

Before jigglypuff could try to stop her, Leaf was already mounted on articuno and making her way to Vermillion city.

"_I'm going to regret this...aren't I?" _she thought to herself as the duo flew through the sky

* * *

Back at the powerplant, the battle between Red and zapdos raged on.

Following a direct hit from charizards flamethrower, Red readied one of his dwindling ultraballs and threw it at zapdos. The ball encapsulated the legendary pokemon and Red watched as it shook

"Come on! Come on!" he gritted, but zapdos broke out

"_Damn it! What's it going to take to get it to calm down!_" Red thought to himself.

Seeing that the battle wasn't going in its favor, zapdos shot a bolt of lightning at the ceiling, creating a hole and flew towards it.

"Quick charizard! After it!" Red commanded

Charizard flew through the opening that zapdos made, only to be met with the rainstorm that was still happening outside. The rain pelted the flame on charizards tail causing to cry out in pain.

"CHARIZARD!" Red cried out as he started to lose control

Zapdos then used the opportunity to attack and Red looked over in horror as the impending thunderbolt drew near "Pikachu! Try to intercept it!" he cried out, but it was too late, charizard got hit and crashed into the ground below.

"Get back charizard! You can't do much in this rain!" Red called out as he returned the fire dragon to its pokeball. He looked up to see zapdos circling around him overhead

"_Damn it! It grounded me! Now what do I do?!_" He then took out the only two pokemon that would stand a chance against the thunderbird and summoned them "Venasaur! Snorlax! Come out!" he shouted and as the two pokemon were summoned, Red called out "Venasaur use leaf storm! Snorlax use hyperbeam!"

They did as they were commanded, but zapdos swiftly dodged their attacks and struck the ground with a bolt of lightning

"_That's strange…why isn't it directly attacking us?_"

It didn't take Red long to figure out why that was. Upon looking down at his feet, Red could see that he and his pokemon were standing in huge puddles of water and proceeded to shout as loud as he could "Everyone! Don't stand in the wat-ARGGHH!"

It was too late, zapdos electricity coursed through all of them and Red could do nothing as it kept up its relentless assault "_I…I can't move…I can't even call for help…_" Red thought as he closed his eyes waiting for it all to end for him.

As Red closed his eyes, he noticed that he wasn't in pain anymore "_I guess this is it….wait!"_ He could freely move his arms again and immediately shot his eyes open to see zapdos get hit with a beam of ice and fall to the ground.

"_It….can't….be_"

Red watched in complete shock as the legendary bird of ice flew on the scene and landed beside him "R…e..d.." a voice called out from atop articuno and proceeded to roll on the ground clutching her chest in pain.

"LEAF!" Red called out as he rushed to her side "You idiot! I told you not to come!"

"I…had…to…"she panted and winced in pain

"_Oh-no! She's strained her heart too much!_" Red thought as he looked over at his pokemon

"Guys! Help me get her out of the rain!"

As they brought Leaf over to the shelter of the powerplant, Red looked over to see zapdos getting up from the attack and fly back up into the sky

"Leaf stay here" Red commanded.

Leaf in turn, protested back "Red! I'm not-"

"I know!" he cut her off "Look, zapdos is hurt; I need to capture it and get it to a pokemon centre immediately!"

"What can I do?" she asked and Red handed her his last ultraball and enclosed her hand around it

"I'm counting on you….don't miss!"

Leaf nodded as Red got on articunos back "Take care of her!" he called out to his pokemon before ascending into the air.

The rain was now intensely coming down as the duo made their way up to the injured pokemon.

Zapdos had a look of complete disbelief as it looked upon its legendary counterpart

"Zapdos! Please! Articuno and I don't want to fight you!" Red called out but zapdos just responded with a hail of thunderbolts. Articuno, in turn, effortlessly dodged the attacks and responded with an ice beam.

During the action, Red couldn't help but think to himself "_I'm actually battling a mystic bird atop of another mystic bird…this is incredible!"_

Articuno charged right at zapdos and Red called out "Articuno! Use sky attack!" As artcuno charged forward, it was enveloped in flames and rammed straight into zapdos causing it to fall to the ground

"LEAF IT'S TIME! GO FOR IT!" Red yelled out as loud as he could.

Leaf cocked the ultraball at the ready as the legendary pokemon descended to her level

"Here we go!" she threw the ball at the thunder bird causing it to be encapsulated in the ball and it dropped to the ground.

She smiled and looked up at Red flying overhead "I GOT IT RED!" Leaf called out to him.

Red smiled back at her "GREAT JOB PARTNER!" he called out in response.

However, upon looking down at the ultraball, Reds smile faded and his eyes widened as realization set in "_It's….not going to hold!_" Red then immediately yelled out as loud as he could "LEAF GET OUTTA THERE NOW! IT'S GOING TO BREAK FREE!"

Leaf looked over slowly too see the ultraball break open with zapdos firing an intense bolt of lightning at her as it escaped.

Leaf could only watch as the bolt came directly at her. Time had slowed down, she wanted to move, but her body was frozen with fear "_I…I can't get away…_" Leaf thought as she prepared for the attack to hit.

However, just as the bolt of lightning was about to hit her, her vision was cut off by a dark figure dropping from the sky…taking the attack in her place.

"WARGHHHHH!" the figured screamed as it collapsed on the ground.

Leaf was frozen in shock, she couldn't believe what had just transpired, Red had leap off articuno just to protect her from the attack.

"OH GOD RED!" she screamed as she ran over to him.

Red was completely motionless as Leaf shook him, trying to get some response "RED! RED!" she kept shaking him, but he didn't respond "oh…please…no…don't leave me…." she whispered as she held his limp body.

Without thinking, Leaf starting calling out "Help! Please someone help him!" she cried out while clutching her heart in pain.

In response, both articuno and zapdos landed in front of them.

Leaf looked up to see that zapdos had a look of complete guilt for what it just did "Please…..he…..just wanted to help….." she called out to it.

Articuno turned to its legendary counterpart and motioned it towards Red.

Zapdos nodded and began to walk towards Red with its wings outstretched

"W-what are you doing?" Leaf panicked, but articuno grabbed her in its wings and held her back.

She watched as zapdos bent down to Reds level, touched his chest with its beak and proceeded to give him a small shock.

Without warning, Reds eyes shot open "W-what" he gasped as he looked around confused.

Leaf immediately ran over to him and threw her arms around him "Red! You're ok!" she happily exclaimed.

Reds eyes widened as she squeezed him tight "Woah! Leaf hang on Red can't breathe!" he gasped even louder "What happened?"

Leaf let go and punched him in the shoulder "You idiot! What were you thinking?!"

Red raised his eyebrows "Uhh…I didn't have time to think…"

Leaf sighed in relief and laid her head on his shoulder "…idiot" she whispered, still clutching her heart

"Leaf…" Red sighed as well.

They looked up to see zapdos walking away from them, wincing in pain

"That's right!" Red exclaimed as he stood up "Leaf! Zapdos has some kind of pipe lodged in its body!"

As soon as Red said that, zapdos suddenly collapsed on the ground crying in pain

"Red!" Leaf shouted "We gotta get zapdos to a pokemon centre now!"

Red shook his head "It broke the last of my ultraballs…and I don't think we should move it…."

"Then what are we going to do?!"

Red looked over to articuno who was bent down by its legendary counterpart, looking concerned and then over to zapdos

"…I'll do it!" He finally stated.

Leaf immediately looked over at him in total shock "WHAT! Red you're not a pokemon doctor!"

Red shook his head "No…I'm not….but that pipe can't stay in there" he stated and then proceeded to look though his bag "If we can manage to get the pipe out, I might have something that can heal zapdos….at least temporarily…"

Red then pulled out a cloth and a bottle filled with a green solution

"What's that?" Leaf inquired

"It's called a full restore….it can heal all types of wounds a pokemon could endure" Red then proceeded to open the full restore and place the cloth inside "It's going to take me a few minutes to get ready. Can you go sit with zapdos for me?"

Leaf nodded and walked over to where the two legendary pokemon were lying. As she walked over, articuno looked up at her concerned and as Leaf looked down, she could see zapdos looking up at her, completely afraid. Leaf never thought she'd see the day that a legendary pokemon quivered in fear in front of her and all she could think to do was sit down beside it and start petting its head.

After a few minutes, Leaf looked up to see Red and his venasaur in front of her "It's time…" he stated "Ok venasaur use sleep powder!" Red commanded as Leaf continued to pet the legendary pokemons head

"It's okay…you'll be alright…" Leaf whispered as she watched its eyes grow heavy and finally zapdos fell asleep.

Red then handed Leaf the full restore "Here! I've been soaking this cloth in the solution" he looked over "As soon as I pull the pipe out; you stick that cloth on the wound"

Leaf quickly nodded "Understood!"

Red made his way over to where the pipe was sticking out of zapdos body and placed his hands around it "_I gotta try to pull it out as straight as I can_" he thought to himself as he started pulling.

It wasn't easy and Red cringed as it took all of his strength to pull that pipe out, but he eventually managed to pull it out. As soon as he did, blood started pouring out and Red screamed for Leaf to put the cloth on top of it.

"Keep the pressure on it for a few minutes!" he commanded and Leaf did as he said until the wound closed up.

Red looked at the blood soaked pipe in disgust "_How could this have happened?_" he thought to himself as he threw the pipe away and collapsed on the ground exhausted.

Leaf sat beside him still clutching her heart in pain

"I..don't…." Red panted as he turned to her "….think I'm cut out for this doctor stuff…."

Leaf smiled and put her head on his shoulder "Yeah…me too"

Suddenly, the two of them heard what sounded like a bunch of people running towards them "What's that sound?" Leaf inquired

"That…my friend" Red said as he slowly turned his head "…is the sound of applause!"

Leaf looked behind as well to see Lt. Surge and the citizens of Vermillion applauding their efforts

"I saw that the rain stopped" Lt. Surge explained "and as I was coming to see what happened, everyone tagged along! That was amazing Red!"

"Uh…don't mention it…" Red nervously rubbed his head as he stood up.

A nurse joy and her chancey stormed past him to check on zapdos and as Red looked around, he could hear people call out.

"He did it! Incredible! That's our champion!"

Red waved his hands in the air "No! No! Please! Ex-champion! "And it wasn't just me! My partner…."

Red looked around to see Leaf hiding behind articuno "Hey Leaf!" Red called as he ran over to her "What's wrong?"

Leaf nervously looked over at the crowd "Red…did you forget? When I last saw these people, I was stealing from them…"

Red shook his head as he grabbed her hand and brought her over "Everyone! This is my partner Leaf!" he smiled as he turned to her "I couldn't have done it without her…"

Leaf nervously bit her lip, she could hear what the people were saying "Hey! Isn't that the girl from the wanted poster? She's with the champion?!" she then looked away "Red…this is embarrassing"

"Don't be embarrassed. You've done a great deed today" Red whispered back

Leaf then felt as if someone was tugging on her skirt. She looked down to see a little girl holding a flower

"Here…this is for you. Thank you for helping the champion!" the little girl said

"Umm…thank you" Leaf replied as she slowly accepted the gift.

Upon looking up, Leaf saw that the entire crowd was now applauding her as well and she nervously scratched her head embarrassed "_Wow…I've never had so many people this happy to see me before_" she thought as she saw Red smiling at her.

After a few hours, zapdos had finally recovered; Red and Leaf also got medical attention and were listening to Lt. Surge explain what happened.

Turns out, a few days ago, a bunch of teenagers were fooling around the old powerplant and when zapdos confronted them, they threw the pipe at it in defense.

Upon hearing that, Leaf sadly looked over at zapdos "_Poor thing...__It was just protecting its home….._" she thought to herself.

After a few hours, Red and Leaf went to check up on zapdos and where happy to see it standing up, happily rubbing its head against articunos

"It's like two old friends seeing one another again for the first time in years" Leaf giggled as Red walked up to the two legendary birds

"Zapdos…we didn't get a chance to properly meet. My name is Red and this is my partner Leaf" Leaf smiled as zapdos nodded at them

"I've been following you across many regions for a chance to add you to my pokedex" Red continued "and I know I don't have any more pokeballs left….but I was wondering if you would like to join our team when I get some"

Zapdos smiled as it looked at them and then back at articuno

"I think it already made up its mind a while ago Red" Leaf interjected

Red crossed his arms "Well the pokedex is at the house and I think I have some spare pokeballs there too…so let's go home"

Leaf patted his shoulder in approval "Thought you'd never ask!"

* * *

It was still lightly raining as articuno flew Red and Leaf home with zapdos following them.

The pokedex finished documenting all the information about the mystic bird and Red walked over to Leaf holding a pokeball in his hand "Here!" he said giving her the ball "I want you to have zapdos Leaf"

Leaf looked at him confused "Wha…why Red? You went through all that trouble of capturing it! You even saved it!"

Red looked over at his partner on his shoulder "I've already got an electrical pokemon on my team! I think you should have one too!"

Leaf nervously looked up at zapdos "W-well"

"Zapdos! What do you think!" Red yelled out and zapdos flapped its wings in excitement

"If you insist…." Leaf said as she looked at the pokeball "Come on Zapdos! Let's continue this journey together!" she threw the ball and effortlessly captured the pokemon.

"I promise we'll be great partners" Leaf whispered to the captured pokemon.

Red smiled and as he was about to walk into the house, he looked behind him to see Leaf standing there, staring at him with her arms crossed "What?" he asked

"I still can't get over it! What was going through your mind when you jumped in front of me!" she yelled at him

"I don't know? All that was could think was that I had to save you no matter what"

She shook her head "You really are an idiot! You could've been killed!"

Red shrugged "Maybe you're starting to rub off on me!" he chuckled "And you're one to talk! Putting all that strain on your heart to come help me!"

Leaf crossed her arms "HMPH! Well someone had too!" she shot back at him

Red laughed as he turned around and was about to walk inside when Lead called out "RED! You gotta come see this!"

Red ran back outside to see that the clouds had parted and for the first time in days, the sun was now shining down on the two of them

"Wow….it feels like it's been forever since we've seen the sun…." Red said as he put his arm around Leafs waist

"It's beautiful…" Leaf stated as she did the same.

"…and just think" Red said as he turned to her "…we helped make it possible!"

Leafs eyes darted away "Umm…Red….even though you're an idiot for doing it…thanks for saving me today…." She then turned and kissed him on the cheek and Red went flush in the face

"Uh…well actually, I should be thanking you….I don't know what would have happened if you didn't show up when you did…"

Leaf giggled and winked at him "I guess that makes us even then!"

Red nodded "I guess so…." he replied as the two looked towards brighter days ahead.


	15. Chapter 15:Red and Leaf vs the Champion

**Update: Hi everyone, this update is kinda coming out of the blue, but it needs to be said. Now in regards to the story, might be a little bit of time before I get the next chapter up. Truth is, I just got hired at a new job and am going to be moving. I apologize, I was hoping to get the story done before something like this happened...but what can you do? Now I might try to get chapter 16 done before things get crazy, but no promises. Once things settle down, it'll be back to normal though. So don't worry, I'm not abandoning the story, nor will I make you guys wait for a long time (like a month) for the next chapter, it just might be like an extra week behind. Once again, thank you guys so much for your feedback, it means a lot and I will see you next time. **

Chapter 15: Red and Leaf VS the Champion

It was a bright and sunny morning as Leaf crawled out of bed.

As she made her way downstairs to the living room, she heard Red talking to someone on his PokeNav "Yeah I know it would be a great idea, but still it's been a long time…..uh-huh…..not official huh…..well…alright you're on!" she overheard Red say out loud.

"Good-morning Red!" Leaf greeted causing Red to jump in surprise.

"Oh Leaf! Don't sneak up on me like that!" He huffed.

"Who was that?"

"Well…" Red began "Remember you once asked me when you would get to meet the actual champion of Kanto?"

Leaf nodded "Yeah, you told me to get all 8 badges, beat the elite four…and then proceed to laugh at me….if I remember correctly" she replied.

Red patted her shoulder "Well you're gonna meet him sooner than that! That was Lance, the champion himself, on the phone."

Leafs eyes widened "R-really! What did he want?"

Red smirked "He heard I was back in Kanto and has challenged me to an exhibition match at the Indigo Plateau!"

Leaf scratched her head "What's an exhibition match?" she asked

"It's just a match without champion status on the line." Red explained to her.

Leaf was shocked that Red was so calm about all this "Still…aren't you nervous…I mean….you're fighting the current champion" Leaf noted.

Red shrugged "I've beaten Lance once before…and so has Blue….." The more he thought about it, the more he realized "You know….now that I think about it…Lance isn't really that great at all!" Red laughed as he and Leaf walked out the door.

As Red was about to get on charizard, he looked over to see Leaf giggling to herself

"What's so funny?" he asked

"Oh nothing" she responded "It's just…after all the time we've lived together; this will be the first time I'll be seeing you battle someone and I'm excited!"

Red smiled "Well, if that's the case, you're in for one hell of a show!" he stated as he helped her up.

* * *

It had been a few months since the zapdos incident. Leaf was finally given the doctors permission to partake in gym battles again and thanks to her two new teammates, was completely dominating any gym she came across. By the time of her 6th gym battle, word had begun to spread about the girl, who trained under Red and had possession of the mystic birds of legend. As such, Leaf tried to not use articuno or zapdos as much…but she couldn't help it. Now, with 6 gym badges in her possession, Leaf was waiting for Red to arrange her 7th gym battle. Red, meanwhile, was attempting to locate the whereabouts of the final mystic bird, moltres, but all leads ended up being inaccurate. He wanted to continue looking for the mysitic bird, but now that would have to wait until after the exhibition fight.

* * *

Charizard touched down at the Indigo Plateau and as the two dismounted, Leaf took a deep breath.

"So this is where the big boys play huh?" She stated as she looked around.

"Is this your first time here Leaf?" Red asked while he petted charizard.

Leaf chuckled as she shook her head "Me? Heck no! When you're a thief, a place like this is the perfect spot to get loot" She then proceeded to point out certain vendors "Let's see….stole from there, there and there…..chairman of the league caught me stealing over there…stole from the chairman of the league over there."

Red slapped his forehead "Well! They'll be no stealing today! I can tell you that much!" he exclaimed.

Leaf rubbed her chin and winked at him "Hmm….PERHAPS I'll consider it…"

"Leaf! What did I say about using the P word!" Red yelled as he pointed at her.

She patted his shoulder "I know it's your favorite word Red." She sarcastically responded.

Red gritted his teeth "Don't ever say it again!"

They found a nice shade tree to stand under and watched pikachu and jigglypuff play with each another as they waited for Lance to come.

Almost an hour went by and Leaf was starting to get impatient.

"So where is he Red?" She asked.

Red shrugged "Well, he's the champion Leaf, I'm sure he's busy" He looked over to see Leaf frantically pacing around "Are you ok…" He asked.

"N-no" She replied "This is kinda embarrassing to ask but….is there a bathroom around here?"

Red sighed "Oh! Of all times Leaf!" He pointed to a building not far away "Over there!"

"Thanks!" Leaf said as she grabbed jigglypuff and started running over.

Before she got too far away, Red yelled out to her "And make it quick! Lance will be here soon!"

"I'll try!" Leaf waved back.

Red sighed as he watched her run off "_What am I going to do with you?_" he thought as he scratched pikachus ear.

* * *

Leaf ran to the building as fast as she could and into the girls washroom.

She then pulled on the stall door and to her surprise, it didn't open "What the?" Leaf looked at the door to see that it had a change dispenser on it "10 pokedollars! What kind of highway robbery is this?!"

She then tried the next door only to hear someone yell out "TAKEN!"

Leaf immediately let go of the door "Sorry!" she apologized and proceed to dance around, not knowing what to do.

Jigglypuff then jumped off her shoulder "Jiggly!" It called out as it pointed to the bottom of the stall door.

Leaf looked at it confused "Go underneath? Why didn't I think of that!" Leaf exclaimed as she got down on the ground.

As Leaf proceeded to crawl backwards into the stall, the stall door next to her opened up and a lady with blue hair and a sprawling black cape emerged and looked down at her

"What do you think you're doing!" she asked.

Leaf quickly crawled back out and ran towards the open door "OH! I don't have any change! Hold that door please!"

But her hopes were dashed as the blue haired lady slammed the door in her face.

Leaf stood frozen in front of the door, a blank expression on her face "OH…..thanks for nothing!"

"Why that's illegal you should be ashamed of yourself!" The blue haired lady said while wagging her finger at Leaf.

"Look I'm sorry." Leaf apologized.

The blue haired lady didn't listen to her and proceeded to continue her lecture "What you're doing is against the law, you owe someone 10 pokedollars!"

"I said I'm sorry ok!" she then patted the blue haired lady's shoulder "Look I'll pay it back later!" Leaf reassured her, but the lady brushed her off.

"Get your hand off me!" The lady yelled.

Leaf was now starting to get annoyed and narrowed her eyes "Don't push me bluey!" she said, but couldn't hold it in anymore and ran out of the building "AHH…I'll deal with you later!" Leaf yelled out.

* * *

At the same time, Red was standing outside still waiting for Lance to arrive when a voice called out "Now there's a sight I haven't seen in years."

Pikachu happily responded, but Red didn't turn around; he knew who it was "You made me wait for over an hour just to tell me that."

"I'm sorry, a Johto representative wanted to meet with me before I left." the voice responded.

Red then turned around to see the cape wearing, red haired, dragon master himself "It's been far too long Lance" he said as they shook hands

Lance smiled "Same to you my friend!"

Red shook his head "I can't believe no one has dethroned you yet." he stated "Especially after the discovery of the fairy type."

Lance crossed his arms "Hmph! They were definitely a challenge at first. Then I taught dragonite steel wing and they all crumbed before me!" He narrowed his eyes at Red "So if you were planning on using a fairy type, I'm sorry to tell you that I have all my weaknesses covered."

Red chuckled and tipped his hat over his eyes "_Unfortunately for you, when it comes to dragon types, there's one weakness that can't be covered no matter what and that's how I'm going to beat you today_!" Red thought himself.

"But enough about me! How have you been Red?" Lance asked.

Red shrugged "Busy! Ever since I've returned, I've either been hunting for the mystic birds or helping Leaf with her gym battles"

"That's right your new protégé I've heard so much about!"

Red shook his head "No she's not my protégé…she's….my….my" Red had to think; he really didn't know what Leaf was to him anymore, she was definitely more than just a friend "….she's my partner!" he finally said.

Lance raised his eyebrows at Reds response "Well, regardless, I still would like to meet her!"

"She really wanted to meet you too" Red said as he looked over at the restroom.

As he did, he was surprised to see Leaf running towards them "Here she comes now!"

"RED!" Leaf yelled as she approached them "I need 10 pokedollars NOW!"

Red was taken aback by her tone "Wha-Why?"

"SHUT-UP! JUST GIVE ME THE MONEY BEFORE I EXPLODE!"

Red scrambled to get the money out of his pocket. When he did, Leaf snatched it out of his hand and started running back to the restroom.

Before she got too far away, Red called out "Umm….Leaf! This is Lance, the champion."

Leaf just kept running "Yeah! Great! Whatever!" she yelled out.

Lance stood there in complete shock "She's…..interesting" he noted.

Red shook his head "Oh…you have no idea" he acknowledged.

As Leaf was running back to the restroom she saw the blue haired lady from earlier and stuck her tongue out at her as she ran by.

"Oh! You're so immature!" the blue haired lady called out before approaching Red and Lance.

"Claire?" Red called out; surprised to see her "I can't believe you came to see me! To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Claire looked over at Lance "I came to see your fight! You should know Red! Whatever my cousin does, I can do better!"

Red was trying not to laugh "Which…is why he's the champion and you're just a gym leader right?"

Claire put her hands on her hips "That's right…wait WHAT!"

Both Red and Lance were laughing "_She's so fun to tease_" Red thought to himself.

Lance turned to his cousin "So what was all that about?" he said, referring to what happened between her and Leaf.

"That girl was causing mischief in the bathroom. I had to put her in her place!"

Red had to look down and put his hat over his eyes "_Oh boy…..this isn't going to end well_" he thought as he spoke up.

"I apologize for my partner…she can do some crazy things when offended."

Claire raised her eye brows "She's with you?!"

"Y-yeah….she is…." Red muttered.

"What was her name again?" Lance asked

"Uhh… Leaf…Leaf Green." Red responded.

Lance rubbed his head in thought "Strange…the name sounds….familiar…."

Reds eyes started darting back and forth, hoping that she hadn't stolen from him before "I…I'm sure it's nothing Lance..." he nervously stated.

Claire crossed her arms "Well, whoever she is, she was causing mischief in the bathroom"

Red raised his eyebrows "Oh really…."

Claire nodded "Yeah! She refused to pay the 10 pokedollars for the stall and I slammed the door on her when she tried to get in for free!" Claire explained.

Red and Lance glanced at each other and then back to Claire "Wow….what a crime…." Red sarcastically said.

"Come on Claire, you know that was rude of you" Lance added.

Claire shrugged "Whatever!"

Red ran over and grabbed her shoulder "Look Claire, for your own good, I would suggest you apologise to her, she's not someone you want to mess with!" He warned her "_Mainly because she'll try to steal something from you if you don't_" Red thought to himself.

"HMPH! I'm not appol-" Claire stopped as an idea popped in her head "Hmm….how about we make a little bet Red?"

Red raised his eyebrows "Bet?"

"Instead of a single battle, let's have a double battle! You and that little brunette of yours, versus me and Lance!"

Claire crossed her arms "If you and your partner can beat us today, I will personally give her 10 pokedollars and apologize."

An evil smirk then formed on Claires face "But! If you lose, she has to give me 10 pokedollars and admit I'm better than her!"

She then turned to her cousin "What do you think Lance?"

Lance shook his head "It's Reds decision, not mine."

Reds eyes darted back and forth "Well…it's just…Leaf's never been in a double battle before…and…"

Claire shrugged "Of course if you don't…..you'd be admitting you're scared of me…which I don't blame you!"

Upon hearing that, Red narrowed his eyes, grabbed her hand and they stared intensely into each other's eyes "YOU'VE GOT A DEAL!" he sharply stated

Lance sighed "I'll go tell the officials…."

Red and Claire continued to stare at one another "I'll see you then!" Claire stated and ran after Lance.

Red smirked at her in response "Looking forward to it!"

While Red was confident on the outside, on the inside he was scared out of his wits "_What am I going to do? Leaf's going to kill me!_" He thought to himself.

After a few minutes, Leaf was happily walking back to the stadium, now completely refreshed "AHH! I feel like a brand new woman!" She then spotted Red standing in the street, sheepishly looking at her. "Red! Shouldn't you be getting ready for the match? It starts soon!"

Red nervously looked down at the ground "Well….heh…heh….the match isn't going to happen…."

"Aww! I was looking forward to seeing you battle." she pouted.

Red scratched his head "Uhh….it hasn't been called off; it's been changed to a double battle…."

Leaf narrowed her eyes and braced herself for what Red was going to say to her "Oh….and who's your lucky partner?"

Red looked away "….you…"

Even though she figured that's what he was going to say, she still yelled out "WHAT!"

Red put his hands up in defense "Now Leaf, you need to understand…"

"WHAT? THAT YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR DAMN MIND!"

"Just let me explain! I was dared to do it!" he said, trying to calm her down

"Oh Red….what have you done? I'm not ready to fight the champion!" Leaf panicked.

"Look I'm sorry; just remember that this match is for fun, it means nothing" Red reassured her.

Leaf raised her head in the air "HMPH! Maybe not for you! But I have a reputation to keep!"

Red looked at her confused "Rep-What reputation?" he shot back and grabbed her hand "Come on Leaf, the battle starts soon, we gotta go!"

"Hold on!" Leaf exclaimed and wrestled her hand away.

All anger turned to delight as an idea popped in her head "I'll fight with you…..if you do something for me!" she winked at him.

"_Oh-no….not more deals!_"

"I want you to introduce me and when you do….say THIS!" She then handed Red a piece of paper and he quickly scanned it over.

"Y-you want me to say this!" He asked pointing at the paper.

An evil smirk formed on Leafs face "I don't think you have very much of a choice Red!"

"_Uggh! We're going to look like fools….but she's right…I have no choice…_" Red thought to himself.

"DEAL!" He said as he grabbed her hand walked towards the stadium.

* * *

The stadium was packed full of people cheering and hollering as they waited for the match to begin.

An announcer then walked to the middle of the stadium and started shouting into his microphone "Ladies and gentleman! Welcome to the Indigo Plateau!" The crowd roared in response "As mentioned earlier, the exhibition match between Lance, the champion and Red, the former champion has now been changed to a double battle!"

The announcer looked over to one side of the field "Introducing first, hailing from Blackthorn city in the Johto region and current champion, LANCE!"

Lance waved his cape to the audience as he walked onto his side of the battlefield.

"And his partner, also from Blackthorn city and Blackthorns gym leader, CLAIRE!"

Claire also waved her cape for the audience, trying her best to impersonate her cousin "Come on Lance! Bask in the glory!" Claire said as she twirled around.

Lance crossed his arms "You know that's not my style Claire…" he retorted.

The announcer then turned to the other side of the stadium "And introducing ne-" he stopped mid-sentence upon seeing that no one was on the other platform and instead Red was running towards him as fast as he could.

"EXCUSE ME!" he yelled "If it's alright with you, I'd like to introduce my partner and I."

The announcer looked puzzled but handed him the microphone "Sure, go ahead."

Red thanked the announcer and looked up at the audience, who were all staring at him "How's everybody doing today!" He yelled out and the audience roared in approval "Some of you may recognize me; I'm Red the EX champion of Kanto from Pallet town!"

Red then looked towards his side of the battlefield "and….my….partner….today" he said as he grabbed the piece of paper that Leaf had given him and started to read it "AHEM! Born in darkness! Raised in fear! Prepare yourself fo-"

"FOR LEAF GREEN IS HERE! WHOO! Leaf suddenly yelled out as she jumped onto her side of the battlefield, waving her hands in the air.

The audience was going crazy as Red tipped his hat over his eyes "_Yeah…yeah…that's….great_" he embarrassingly thought to himself.

As Red slowly made his way back, Leaf ran up to him and put her arm around him "Hey that was pretty good announcing Red! You might have a new part-time job!" Leaf said patting him on the back.

Red glared at her, still embarrassed at what she made him say "….thanks"

Leaf narrowed her eyes as she looked across the field "Look! It's her Red!" she pointed out "That's the one who insulted me in the bathroom!"

"Her name's Claire, Leaf" Red corrected her.

"So…is she Lance's girlfriend?" Leaf asked.

Reds eyes went wide "Uhh….no Leaf they're cousins"

Leaf chuckled as she scratched her head "Well…I'm not one to judge….I mean love works in mysterious wa-"

"THEY'RE COUSINS! NOT LOVERS! YOU IDIOT!" Red yelled at her.

"I don't know Red…" she nudged him in the shoulder "Have you seen the way she looks at him? I think there's something going on!"

Red face palmed "_I can't believe I'm actually hearing this…._" He thought to himself as he heard the announcer call out.

"All participants will use one pokemon with no time limits!" He then looked around and yelled into the mic "So! Combatants! LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!"

Lance, Claire, Red and Leaf each pulled out a pokeball and threw it on the battlefield.

"Dragonite! Come out!" Lance called out.

"Kingdra! It's time to kick some ass!" Claire stated.

"Charizard! You know what to do!" Red exclaimed.

"Articuno! Let's show these dragon trainers how it's done!" Leaf said as they were all summoned.

Upon seeing the legendary bird of ice, Claire quickly looked over at Lance "T-that's…"

"Articuno, the mystic bird of ice." Lance answered.

"It's actually real?" Claire asked.

Lance nodded "Looks that way….still it's of no concern!" he confidently stated.

"_Ughh! Who IS this girl?_" Claire wondered to herself.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, Leaf looked confused at the pokemon before her.

"Hey Red, what's that?" she asked, pointing at kingdra.

"That's seadras evolution." Red answered.

Leaf looked at him shocked "Seadra has an evolution?!"

Red had forgot that Leaf didn't know about the other regions and how they affect certain pokemon "I'll explain later! Right now let's focus!"

Leaf turned her attention to the battlefield "Don't worry Red! Let articuno and I handle these dragon types! Ice is their weakness after all!" She confidently said.

He quickly glanced at her "Don't underestimate Lances dragonite! It's been trained to counter ice types and ice moves aren't very effective against Claires kingdra." Red warned.

"_Actually, this fight's a lot more even then I would like it to be…._" he thought as Leaf made the first move

"Articuno! Charge dragonite and use ice beam!"

Red immediately looked over at her "Leaf! What did I just say?!"

Lance watched as the legendary bird flew towards dragonite "That's it! Come closer!" he snickered.

As soon as articuno was in range, Lance called out "Dragonite! Use flamethrower!"

Leaf reeled back in shock "Oh-no!" she yelled out as she watched dragonite rear its head back.

However, just before the attack could hit articuno, charizard flew in front of it and took the attack instead.

"Quick charizard! Retaliate with dragon pulse!" Red ordered.

Charizard did what it was told and blasted dragonite with its weakness.

Despite what just happened, Lance looked impressed "_Even though you've been gone awhile, you haven't missed a beat Red_" he thought.

Red tipped his hat "See Leaf, you shouldn't underestimate your enemy! Anyone could take adv-"

"Articuno! Ice beam!" Leaf suddenly shouted out.

Red didn't notice the stream of water that kingdra had shot at charizard and articunos ice beam froze the attack before it hit.

"I appreciate your concern, but you need to worry about yourself too!" She retorted.

He blinked in disbelief "Fair enough….let's work together!"

The battle raged on for a few minutes with neither side gaining the advantage.

Leaf gritted her teeth as she watched articuno narrowly dodge one of dragonites attacks "Red! This battle's going nowhere; we need to try something different to catch them off guard!"

Red turned to her "Any suggestions Leaf?"

Leaf looked at the other side of the battlefield and then proceeded to whisper something in Reds ear.

He nodded in agreement at what she suggested "You know…that's so crazy, it just might work!"

"It's our only chance Red!" Leaf exclaimed, turning her attention back to the battle.

"Right! Charizard! Charge kingdra and use dragon pulse!" Red shouted.

Charizard did as it was commanded and Claire snickered.

"Charizards trying to fight kingdra at close range? That will be your last mistake Red!" Claire then called out "Kingdra use hyrdopump and take it down!"

Kingdra fired an intense shot of water at charizard and to Claire's surprise, it actually took the hit.

Claire then smiled as she looked over at Lance "See Lance, that's how you do it!"

On the other side, Red panicked as he called out "Ughh! Charizard fly back! It's too strong for you!"

Charizard slowly started to make its way back, but Claire didn't want to give up the first opportunity she had in this fight "Kingdra! Pursue it and finish it off!" she called out.

Upon hearing what she said, Lance grabbed her arm "Wait Claire! Red wants you to follow him!"

Claire pushed him away "So what? If we beat charizard, the match is ours!"

Red watched as kingdra drew closer and closer "_That's it….just a little bit more…_" he thought and then heard Claire call out "Kingdra! Finish it off with hydropump!"

As kingdra reared its head back, Red yelled out "NOW! Charizard fly up!"

Charizard did as it was told and flew up to reveal articuno waiting behind it.

Claires eyes went wide as she saw what just occurred "WHAT!" she cried out.

"Articuno! Use swagger!" Leaf yelled out.

Articuno then flashed a red aura at kingdra, causing it to become confused.

In its confusion, kingdra turned its head and shot its hydopump straight at dragonite instead.

"Claire! You've doomed us both!" Lance yelled out as dragonite was hit by the attack.

Red tipped his hat over his eyes "Leaf! It's time!"

Leaf tipped her hat over her eyes as well "Right!"

"Charizard! Use dragon pulse on kingdra!" Red shouted.

"Articuno! Use ice beam on dragonite!" Leaf yelled out as well.

The two pokemon did as they were told and attacked their targets.

Neither dragonite nor kingdra could react in time and both pokemon crashed to the ground from the resulting impact of the attacks.

The crowd went nuts and Red smirked as he kept his hat over his eyes "…..and that's how you do it!"

Leafs face lit up and she started jumping around in joy "WE WON!"

She then turned to Red "I can't believe it! We did it!" Leaf said as she raised her hand in the air for a high-five.

Red turned to her and smacked his hand against hers "WE SURE DID!" he exclaimed with joy and they embraced.

On the other side of the battlefield, Claire looked down at her feet, completely crushed at what just happened "What….have….I…done?" she muttered "We had the fight won…."

Lance reassuringly patted her shoulder "You just got caught up in the thrill of the fight and made a small mistake. Don't worry! You still did great!"

Claire crossed her arms as she thought about what she had to do now "Thanks…..but now I have to keep up my end of the bet….."

Lance chuckled "Yes…you do"

Everyone cheered as the match came to an end.

* * *

Red and Leaf laughed as they walked out of the stadium arm in arm.

"Okay! Just so we're clear" Leaf started "I beat the champions pokemon! I'm the best!"

Red rolled his eyes "Uhh….sure Leaf….only after I saved you from said pokemon like 100 times!"

Leaf smacked him upside the head "That's beside the point Red!" She laughed.

They then spotted Lance and Claire waiting for them and walked over.

"Red, I'm impressed, you're still as strong as ever!" Lance complemented "You know….you would make a great champion!" he added

Red looked away "Thank you Lance…..but I'm still not ready for the responsibility of overseeing two regions."

A sad expression formed on Lances face "I…see." He then looked over at Leaf "What about Leaf? You were really great out there too! Have you ever considered becoming champion?"

Leaf blushed profusely and scratched her head "WHAT! ME? NO! NO! I could never be champion!" she blurted out as she waved her hands in the air.

Lance then looked over at his cousin "Well Claire, don't you have something to say to this young lady?"

Claire sighed as she walked over to Leaf "Here!" she said handing Leaf 10 pokedollars "I'm….sorry for slamming the door in your face…"

Leaf smiled and took the money "It's in the past Claire! Don't worry about!" She then extended her hand and Claire accepted it.

As they shook hands, Claire looked away "Look! Mystic bird of ice or not! I'll still beat you when you come to challenge my gym!"

Leaf narrowed her eyes "Looking forward to it!" She then stopped and scratched her head "Wait…I've never heard of a dragon type gym leader in the Kanto region"

"That's because there isn't one." Red responded "Claire's from the Johto region."

Leaf looked confused "The…Johto region? I've never heard of it."

Claire looked shocked "What? How do you not know about the Johto region?" Claire sharply asked.

Leaf looked down "Sorry…all I've ever known was the Kanto region. I didn't know there were others."

Lance smiled at her "Don't worry Leaf, you're not the first person who wasn't aware and there are a lot more regions than just Johto!"

Red turned to his partner "Remember during the battle when you asked me about kingdra."

Leaf nodded

"Well, seadra can evolve if it is holding an item that's found in the Johto region" Red explained "Lots of other pokemon around here can do that too and there's a whole bunch of different pokemon that can only be found there!"

Leafs eyes sparkled "Wow…..I'd really like to see it one day!"

"_I'll keep that in mind…_" Red thought to himself as Lance spoke up.

"By the way Red, I was wondering if you would be interested in signing this petition?"

Lance handed Red a piece of paper and Red looked it over.

"What is this?" he asked.

"It's a petition for another monorail to connect Kanto and Johto, except this one will be built near Pallet town. Leaf you're free to sign it too!" Lance added.

Red and Leaf looked at each other and shrugged "Sure why not?" Red stated as he and Leaf signed the paper.

Leaf suddenly spoke up "Well I think it's getting late! We should head home Red!" She said and quickly started walking away.

"LEAF!" Red yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Y-yes…" Leaf nervously said as she turned around.

Red pointed at her "Whatever you have, give it back!" He demanded.

Leaf rolled her eyes as she walked up to Claire "…here" She said as she held out a small change purse.

Claire's eyes widened as far as they could go "WHAT!"

Leaf giggled as Claire immediately looked in her bag to see that everything was gone. "….and yeah here's your make up kit, car keys, these candies you were keeping in there, 50 badges, this framed picture of Lance…..which is kinda weird to have on your person at all times, this blue hair dye and 10 hair clips!"

Leaf the slowly looked up to see Claires face as red as it could go and Red could practically see the stream rising from her ears as he nervously stated "Uhh….well…it was nice seeing everyone again and Uhh….would like to say but…..WE GOTTA RUN!"

Red and Leaf then grabbed each other's hands and started running as fast as they could while Claire yelled out "THEIF! THEIF! JUST WAIT TILL YOU FACE ME FOR REAL!"

Lance could only laugh "_Until we meet again…_" He thought as he held his cousin back.

As Red and Leaf ran for their lives, Leaf looked over at Red "I…think that went over as good as it could have!" she huffed and Red could only laugh as they continued to run.

* * *

Back at the house, Red and Leaf were still laughing over what transpired.

"Okay! Okay!" Leaf said while waving her hands in front of face "I'll admit; you and me teaming up was actually a really good idea."

"When will you learn that all my ideas are good ones?" Red noted and Leaf shook her head

"Now…I wouldn't go THAT far!" She admitted.

"Speaking of good ideas." Red added "That was an amazing idea you came up with to win the match!"

"It was the same strategy that Clefable used against us…..and I knew Claire couldn't resist the idea of potentially beating you!" Leaf noted, feeling very proud of herself.

The two sat down and turned on the TV, which was showing highlights of their match.

Red watched with excitement as the battle neared its end "Here it comes Leaf!" He stated, unable to contain his excitement "The synergy, the way we coordinated that final strategy, it was beautiful! What do you think?"

Leaf was struggling to keep her eyes open, she was so tired from everything that had transpired "Hmm…..interesting" She whispered as she snuggled her head into Reds side.

Reds face went flush as he looked over "Y-you…see…."

Leaf looked up at him with her eyes half closed "Goodnight….Red" she mumbled and Red stuttered as he tried to finish his sentence.

"That…is…umm" He sighed "_This is the second time you've done this to me!_" Red thought to himself

He then put his arm around her, pull her in close and rested his head atop hers.

"Goodnight Leaf…." He whispered before shutting his eyes as well.


	16. Chapter 16: The Flames of Determination

**Update: Hi guys, I'm finally back. This chapter took me forever to write! Thanks to my new job and the move I just couldn't bring myself to be motivated to write it. But things are starting to settle down and everything should be good now. Sorry for making you guys wait, thank you for being so patient with this chapter and hopefully I'll be able to get the next one out sooner.**

Chapter 16: The Flames of Determination

It was a warm day on the shorelines of Vermillion city as two individuals argued on the boat docks.

"What do you mean the boat's not running today!" One yelled.

"Sir, I apologize but it isn't." The other replied.

It had been a few weeks since the exhibition battle at the Indigo Plateau and Red had finally discovered the whereabouts of moltres, the final legendary bird. Turns out, the legendary pokemon was residing in Mount Ember, a mountain in the Sevii Islands and he would need a boat to get there. Unfortunately for Red…

"The boat was damaged the other day when it scrapped against some rocks near the shore." A sailor explained "It's going to take at least a month to get it repaired."

"_A month?! Moltres might be gone by then!_" Red thought to himself.

"Don't you have any other means to get to the Sevii Islands?" He asked.

The sailor shook his head "I'm sorry sir….you're just going to have to wait."

Red gritted his teeth in disappointment "FINE!" he yelled as he turned around "Let's go pikachu!"

The two walked back over to Leaf who was playing with jigglypuff.

"Oh! Red! How'd it go?" She called out as she saw him walking towards her "Remember, don't bother buying any tickets. I can find a way to stow us aboard this boat for free!" Leaf said as she nudged him in the shoulder.

Red quickly glanced at her and then glanced away "Even if I wanted to do that…..we can't! The boat's not running!" he stated.

Leaf looked at him shocked "WHAT! WHY?"

Red shrugged "Something about repairs….." he replied.

"Well that's stupid! You'd think they'd have a spare boat in case something like this happened!" Leaf yelled as she stomped her foot on the ground.

"You'd think huh…."

Leaf scratched her head "Well…why don't we just fly there like we do everywhere else?" she asked.

Red shook his head "The problem is Leaf, we'd be flying over open water for a long distance and if our pokemon got tired, there would be no place for them to land."

"Oh…I never thought of that…." Leaf sighed as she and Red walked away.

* * *

Fed up with what just transpired, Red and Leaf decided to sit on a nearby bench to relax and figure out their next move.

"Ugh! If only I could get in contact with the pilot from the Unova region! She would help us!" Red stated as he stressfully rubbed his temple.

He then looked over to see Leaf curiously looking around.

"What's up?" Red inquired.

"Red….this place…..doesn't it look familiar?" Leaf asked in awe "I think….this is where we first met."

Shocked at what she had just said, Red looked around as well. Sure enough it was the same bench with the wooded area behind it that the two first encountered each other.

"You're…..right" he replied and pointed to the woods "That's where you jumped me from." Red chuckled.

Leaf, however, was silent as she recalled the events of that day: How she was almost captured, how Red protected her and how her life suddenly changed.

"It feels like it was so long ago…." Leaf finally spoke up and Red held her hand.

"You've grown so strong since then…." He stated.

"Red…."

Red stopped and shook his head "Actually, you've always been strong….just in different ways." He quietly remarked "I could never have lived…..as….you…..did…"

He suddenly started stuttering as Leaf was inching closer to his face "I….you….uhh…"

"Oh…don't stop….keep going and see where it gets you…" She whispered to him.

Reds face was as flush as it could go; her face was right up against his "W-well….." He muttered.

As he was about to lean forward as well, his vison was impeded by a shiny object in front of his face.

"GOT YA!" Leaf yelled out and started laughing.

Red couldn't think of anything to say and his eyes widened as he finally realized that the shiny object was actually his badge case. Somehow, she had managed to steal it from him.

"Honestly Red, What happened? When we first met, you were able to catch me no problem." Leaf stated as she tipped her hat over her eyes "Don't tell me you've regressed since then!"

Red was completely embarrassed. He immediately snatched his badge case back and tried his best to blurt out "Y…Y…YOU!"

Leaf winked at him as she wagged her finger "Don't ever underestimate the persuasion skills of The Former Great Shadow Thief!"

She then looked over to see that Red had his head down and his eyes were closed "Uhh….Red?" she asked.

"Leaf…" Red muttered as he slowly looked up at her "…..I'm going to give you to the count of 5….to run away as fast as you can….and if I catch you…..so help me…."

Leaf chuckled at him "Oh come on Red! You're not really-"

"1!"

"Red! You-"

"2!"

"Jigglypuff! Do you believe this guy-"

"3-4-5!"

"Wha-"

Red then suddenly dashed over to her, grabbed hold of her and started tickling her.

"HAHAHA! No! NO! STOP! I'm really ticklish!" Leaf said as she tried to get away.

As this was going on, pikachu, jigglypuff and everyone on the road was looking at them like they were completely crazy.

"Red! Please! People are looking at us!" She pleaded between laughs.

Red tightened his grip on her "Does it look like I care? Surrender to me and I'll stop!" He demanded.

"No! No! Please! HAHAHA! OK! I surrender! I SURRENDER!"

Red finally released her and Leafs face was beat red as she dusted herself off.

"Wow, now I know how to torture you if you ever upset me!" Red chuckled.

Leaf glared at him and looked down at his yellow pokemon.

"Pikachu! Shock this jerk for me!" She ordered.

Pikachu smirked as it gave it's trainer a little jolt of electricity.

"OWW!" Red yelled out "Traitor! What was that for?!"

"Pikachu simply knows where the power lies in this partnership! Right Pikachu?" Leaf stated as she bent down and started petting its head.

Even though he should have been offended by what she just said, Red couldn't help but smile "_God, I want to tell her how I feel about her so bad…._" Red thought as he watched Leaf play with the two pokemon. "_But…I..I….just…._"

"So what now Red?" Leaf suddenly asked.

Red scratched his head "I don't know…thanks to the stupid boat, our whole day's now wasted. I guess we'll go home." He shrugged as he took out charizards pokeball.

* * *

Back at the house, Red and Leaf were discussing Leafs next gym battle.

"I don't know Red…" Leaf started "What's the point of gathering these badges now? None of these gym leaders are any challenge for me!"

Red couldn't argue with that, with the mystic birds at her side, Leaf was a force to be reckoned with. He could still remember the look of absolute terror on Erikas face when Leaf sent out articuno against her grass type pokemon. With 6 gym badges in her possession, her next gym to challenge was the one on Cinnibar Island.

"Don't underestimate Blaine Leaf!" Red warned her "His magmortar took me and charizard to the limit and it was just a magmar back then!"

Just then, Reds PokeNav started beeping loudly; it was Blaine.

"Speak of the devil!" Red stated as he answered the call "Hello….Blaine we were just talking about you! Leaf wanted to know if we could do the gym battle….Uh-huh….A surprise? What is it…..yeah, I figured you'd say that…alright we'll be there in a bit" Red said as he closed the PokeNav.

"So?" Leaf inquired.

"We're good to go for the gym battle and Blaine says he has a surprise for us."

Leaf clasped her hands together "A surprise? What kind of surprise?"

Red shrugged "I don't know….he says we'll find out when we get there."

Leaf then quickly grabbed Reds hand and pulled him out the door "Well! What are we waiting for Red! Let's go!"

* * *

The two flew over to Cinnibar Island and made their way to the gym. They pushed the doors open and saw Blaine standing in the middle of the arena, surrounded by fire.

"Blaine!" Red greeted as he walked over "Thanks for doing this on such short notice."

"It's no problem Red." Blaine remarked as he looked over at Leaf "So, we finally meet young lady! My name's Blaine the Cinnibar gym leader, I'm glad to see that you're doing well."

Leaf looked at him confused "Huh?"

Red turned to her and scratched his head "Oh right! I forgot to tell you Leaf; when you were trapped in the seafoam caverns, Blaine was one of the people who came to help dig you out." He chuckled.

Blaine nodded "Right! But it looks like you ended up managing to find your own way out."

Leaf wasn't even listening to what they were talking about, she was just staring at Blaines lab coat and Red noticed it.

"Hey Leaf! You alright?" He asked out of concern.

Leaf looked at him like she had just been brought out of a daydream "Huh? Oh! I'm fine Red!" She then looked over to see Blaine extending his hand and she accepted it "It's nice to meet you too!" Leaf said as they shook hands.

"So what's this big surprise you have in store for us?" Red excitedly asked.

"Hold on a sec!" Blaine stated as he looked up and whistled out loud.

Red and Leaf looked up as well to see a giant shadow fly overtop and start descending towards them.

"That's!" They both gasped as they saw what it was.

Its body was a fiery orange tone and its wings were engulfed in flame. It was the legendary bird of flame; moltres.

Red stared at the mystic bird with his eyes wide in shock "That's…..impossible….moltres was supposed to be on Mt. Ember!" he stated.

"I think the key word there is **WAS **Red!" Blaine replied as he petted the mystic birds feathers. "Yesterday, there was reports of increased activity in the Cinnibar volcano and when I came to investigate, I met moltres sitting inside." He explained "I think it's seeking out the other mystic birds and the one who captured them."

"Articuno and I used the volcano to escape from the seafoam caverns!" Leaf quickly spoke up. "It must have came to this volcano because it sensed articunos presence!"

She then quickly reached into her bag and pulled out both zapdos and articunos pokeballs "Well! No sense in delaying this reunion any longer!" Leaf shouted as she called them out.

Zapdos and articuno stared at the final member of their trio with awe and for a good few minutes the 3 of them just stood there staring at each other.

Leaf slowly leaned over to Reds ear "How long do you think it's been since they've seen each other?" she asked.

Red glanced over "Considering how long they've lived on this earth…..a very long time." He replied.

Suddenly, each of the mystic birds took turns speaking to one another and when they finally finished their conversation, all 3 turned to Red and Leaf.

"I think articuno and zapdos just convinced moltres to join us." Leaf whispered in Reds ear. "Just think Red, we don't even have to fight it."

Red looked over at the mystic birds and nodded "Yeah…I think your right." He whispered back "See, I told you we didn't need to take the stupid boat."

Leaf narrowed her eyes as she sharply whispered back in his ear "Uhh…What! I said that! And it's a good thing we didn't because would have went there for nothing!"

"AHEM!" Blaine cleared his throat "What are you two mumbling about?!"

"NOTHING!" They both said in unison.

"Oh, right!" Red remarked "Moltres! My name is Red and this is my partner Leaf, I've traveled across many regions for a chance to meet you and…..we were wondering if you would like to join your fellow legendary birds as part of our team."

Leaf tilted her head towards him "Wow….nice proposition Red." She sarcastically remarked.

Moltres stared at Red and Leaf for a second before bending down to Blaines level.

Blaine nodded as moltres motioned towards the duo "Moltres wants to know what makes a simple girl like you special enough to wield the power of the mystic birds?"

Leaf was taken aback "Umm…excuse me?"

"Before it joins you, moltres wishes to test your power in battle." Blaine clarified as he rubbed his head in thought "Why don't we just incorporate that into our gym battle today?" He added and turned to the legendary bird "That's if you're alright with me commanding you moltres!"

Moltres spread its wings and cried out in response.

"I….suppose" Leaf replied while gritting her teeth. "_I have to fight it alone…."_ She thought to herself.

"After all young lady, having two legendary birds on your team must be making these gym battles easy for you anyway." Blaine stated with a smirk on his face.

Leaf was hurt by Blaines words and the more she thought about it, the more she started doubting herself "_What makes me special? Nothing! I'm just a simple thief that's all…._" she chastised herself "_It was Reds pokemon that helped me capture articuno and Red caught zapdos…essentially by himself….I just helped and reaped the rewards in the end…_"

"Alright then!" Blaine yelled out "I just need a few minutes to get the gym set up!" He stated and ran off as moltres flew into the sky.

Leaf watched as they both left and then turned to Red who was smiling.

"This is going to be great Leaf!" He excitedly stated "For once, you're not going to completely destroy a gym leader!"

"Yeah…..great" She replied as she stared at him "_Oh Red….I don't want to let you down after we've come so far…..I guess I just need to finish this quickly!_" Leaf thought as they waited for the gym to be ready.

After a few minutes, the battlefield was set for the gym battle to commence.

Leaf was completely silent as she and Red boarded the raised platform.

"Hey! Are you sure you're ok?" Red asked.

"I…I'm fine Red!" She hastily replied, even though that wasn't true.

Red reassuringly patted her shoulder "_I know you're scared, but be strong Leaf! I know you can do this!_"

Across the battlefield they heard Blaine shout out "This will be a two pokemon battle young lady! Are you ready?!"

Leaf nodded and Blaines glasses shone as he summoned his first pokemon "Magmortar! Come out!"

Red took a deep breath as he remembered how the blast pokemon took him to the limit in the past. He then looked over at his partner "Have you made a decision?" He asked.

Leaf nodded and called out "Clefable! Let's do this!"

"_You're still reluctant to use the mystic birds huh Leaf…."_ Red thought as he watched clefable get summoned to the battlefield.

"_Remember Leaf! The quicker you put this fight away, the better!_" Leaf thought to herself as Blaine made his first move.

"Magmortar! Use fire punch!"

Leaf narrowed her eyes; she had to retaliate immediately "Clefable! Use body slam!"

The two pokemon collided with one another and recoiled back.

Leaf wasted no time and called out her next move "Quick Clefable! Use focus blast!" she shouted.

"Magmortar! Use flamethrower!" Blaine shouted back and once again both attacks collided.

Red watched as the two pokemon brawled back and forth, neither one gaining any ground.

"_It keeps matching my attacks! I have to try to overpower it…somehow…._" Leaf thought as she saw the battle unfold "_That's it!_"

In her mind, Leaf was so eager to beat magmortar and start fighting moltres, that she put everything into the next attack.

"It's time to try our new attack! Clefable! Use hyperbeam!"

Blaine opened his mouth to call out a counter move, but suddenly stopped. "_No….I can use this to my advantage…_" He thought to himself as he watched clefable fire a huge beam of energy at magmortar.

The resulting impact of the attack caused magmortar to fall backwards on the ground and it didn't get up.

"_Wow…it actually took the attack?_" Red thought to himself as well as he watched the events unfold. He then looked over at partner who was still tense.

Blaine lowered his head as he recalled his fainted pokemon.

"I'm sorry for using you like this old friend." He whispered to magmortars pokeball. "You'll see my strategy fulfilled."

Across the battlefield, Red was trying to comfort his partner "That's one down." He noted and she nodded.

"Now the real fight begins…" Leaf shivered as she whispered back.

Blaine looked to the sky and called out "Moltres! I summon you to the battlefield!"

There was a loud cry and everyone watched as moltres landed on the battlefield.

Leaf narrowed her eyes as she saw her adversary "_This is it! I really need to end this as quickly as I can!_"

"Ok Clefable! Hurry and use thunderbolt!" Leaf called out, hoping to expose moltres weakness.

As Clefable began to make its move, it suddenly stopped and collapsed to the ground exhausted.

Leaf quickly turned around "Red what's happening?! What's wrong with Clefable?"

Red looked down at the pokemon "It's tired Leaf…." He remarked "Hyper beam takes a lot of energy to use and now clefable needs time to gather its strength again."

Leaf panicked as she looked back over to see Blaine smiling at her, it was time to put his plan into motion "Moltres! Use sunny day! Let it shine forth!"

"W-why isn't he attacking me? He has the advantage." Leaf asked confused.

Reds eyes widened as he realized what was going on "_I know what he's doing…..Blaine's not worried about clefable….he's setting up for what's coming next._"

They all watched as the light from the sun grew intense and moltres glowed as it took in the sunlight.

While all this was happening, clefable finally got to its feet and fired a bolt of lightning directly at the mystic bird.

Thanks to sunlight it had just absorbed, moltres effortlessly dodged the thunderbolt and flew directly above clefable.

"Now moltres! Use flamethrower!" Blaine called out.

With more power than ever, moltres unleashed an intense flamethrower directly on top of clefable.

"OH-NO!" Leaf cried out as she shielded her eyes from the blast.

Red did the same and when the smoke cleared, they saw clefable fainted on the battlefield.

"Clefable! NO!" Leaf yelled out, but there was nothing she could do.

Red took a deep breath as he watched her return her fainted pokemon and pull out her next pokeball.

Leaf took a second to look at the final pokemon she chose for this battle "_I was hoping to make this easy for you…..but it looks like I screwed up and let moltres get stronger….but we're still going to beat it!_" She thought as she stared at the pokeball.

"You're the only one who can do this! I'm counting on you!" Leaf yelled out as she threw the pokeball on the battlefield.

Out came zapdos, who stared down its legendary counterpart, ready for battle.

Red stroked his chin as he saw Leafs final pokemon "_Zapdos does stand the best chance against moltres….but that sunny day…_"

"This will be a true clash of legends!" Blaine shouted from across the battlefield.

Leaf pointed as she called out "Go zapdos! Sky attack!"

Zapdos engulfed itself in flames and charged at moltres.

Blaine smirked; he was going to beat Leaf at her own game "Moltres! Use sky attack as well!"

The two pokemon charged into one another and the resulting impact caused them both to fall to the ground.

"Now moltres! Flamethrower!" Blaine called out.

"Hurry zapdos! Thunderbolt!" Leaf responded.

Once again, the two attacks collided, but thanks to the sunny day, moltres flamethrower overpowered zapdos and Leaf watched as it cried out in pain.

Leaf was beginning to lose all hope in herself "Ughh! Why can't I just end it already!" She yelled out.

Upon seeing what was happening, Red put his hand on her shoulder "Leaf, what's going on? Why do you keep attacking it directly?" he calmly asked her.

"It…it's so strong….I can't beat it with just one pokemon Red….." She muttered back. "I…I'm going to let you down…."

Red could feel her whole body shake "_She's so nervous about this…._"

He then proceeded to casually rubbed her shoulders and reassured her "You're not going to let me down! You know why? Cause you and zapdos have something that Blaine and moltres don't!"

Leafs eyes widened "Something…we have…"

Upon hearing Reds words it all came back to her.

**Flashback**

"Here." Red said as he passed Leaf a CD for the TM "This will help make zapdos more versatile."

"Red, why do you want me to teach zapdos this stupid move? It doesn't even cause any damage!" Leaf protested back.

Red pointed his finger at her as he lectured "Look! Brute strength will only get you so far, you need to start relying on strategy or else your opponent will take advantage of you."

Leaf stared at the CD in Reds hand for a few seconds before quickly snatching for herself.

He smiled at her "Trust me….it'll be worth it."

Leaf blushed as she quickly looked away "T-the Great Shadow Thief does not need advice from the likes of you!" She stated, completely flustered "Come on zapdos, let's learn this move!"

Red put his hand on her shoulder "After we do this, I have one for articuno too."

**End Flashback**

"I understand now….it's our bond that makes us special…zapdos and I know things that moltres wouldn't!"

She shyly looked over at her partner "_I still refuse to admit you were right Red!_" Leaf thought to herself "_But in this case…._"

Upon regaining her confidence, Leaf looked up and yelled out "Zapdos! Use rain dance!"

Zapdos raised its wings to the sky as it summoned clouds to block out the sun.

Blaine stared up at the sky "_Rain dance? HOW?!_" He thought to himself.

Suddenly, rain started to pelt down on moltres and it looked up at the sky, confused at what just happened.

"Now zapdos! Hurry and use thunder!" Leaf called out.

"Ughh! Moltres use sky attack and get away!" Blaine retorted.

It was no use, despite the speed of sky attack, a huge bolt of lightning smashed into moltres causing it to fall to the ground.

"Moltres! Get up! You can do it!" Blaine called out.

Moltres tried as hard as it could to stand up after being hit with thunder. But, despite its best efforts, it ended up collapsing on the ground defeated.

Red looked over at his partner, who was still shocked at what she had just accomplished and tipped his hat over his eyes "That my friend…is how you use strategy to your advantage!" He stated.

Leaf wanted to say something, but the only word that came out of her mouth was "….wow…."

The two descended to the battlefield and Leaf immediately ran over and gave zapdos a hug.

Zapdos knelt to her level as she whispered to it "I guess Red was right in having you learn that move huh zapdos?" Leaf then proceeded to lean in closer to the mystic bird and whispered even quieter "But…don't tell him I said that ok…."

Zapdos nodded as it happily rubbed its head against hers.

"Hey! Hey! Come on your feathers tickle!" She laughed as she looked over at moltres.

Leaf saw that moltres was disappointed from losing the fight and she knelt down next to it and started spraying it with a hyper potion.

"See moltres, I know you're strong, but there's only so much you can learn on your own."

Upon hearing that, Moltres slowly looked up at her.

Leaf extended her hand as she made an ultimatum "But…if you come with us…the bond we'll form will help you find powers you never thought you'd have!"

She turned to her pokemon "Right zapdos?!"

Zapdos spread its wings and called out in response.

Moltres looked over and saw how happy its legendary counterpart was. It then looked back over to Leaf and nodded to her in approval.

Red listened to every word she said with awe "_I'm sorry? Who are you and what have you done with Leaf?_" He joked to himself, he was so proud of how far she had come.

"Here." He said as he passed her a pokeball "After that speech, you deserve this!"

Once she had finished healing it, Leaf showed the pokeball to moltres and it nodded in response. She then threw the pokeball at the mystic bird and caught it effortlessly.

As Red watched the capture take place, Blaine walked up beside him "That girl's definitely something special." Blaine stated.

Red nodded "Yes! She's…..very special." He agreed.

"The way she cares for her pokemon….it's truly inspiring." Blaine noted.

Red chuckled "Would you believe that just a while ago, she would never have considered doing something like this. Now look at her…..she's so…..different."

Blaine smiled "I'm happy for her!" He then cheekily looked over at Red "…and for you!"

Reds face went flush "W-well…..I'm…."

He stopped as Leaf suddenly came running over to them.

"Hey Blaine!" Leaf yelled as she ran up to both of them "I was just curious, what's with the lab coat? Are you a scientist?"

Blaine looked down at his coat and reminisced "This…." He started "This a memento from the laboratory I used to work at. But that was a long-time ago….."

"Oh? What kind of work did you do?" Red asked, now curious as well.

Blaine smiled as he looked down at his lab coat "Well….when I first started working at the lab….everything was great. Our goal was to research ways to improve the bond between human and pokemon and our findings lead to the invention of the soothe bell and luxury ball."

"That sounds wonderful! Why did you ever give it up?" Leaf asked.

Blaines smile slowly turned to a frown "Over-time ….things changed…." He bit his lip as he continued "A new organization took over control of the laboratory and forced us to perform new experiments to create genetically enhanced pokemon. I was disgusted by their methods and left to pursue a new career as a gym leader." He paused for a minute before continuing "It was a few months later that I heard that they had created a being so powerful….it could defeat any pokemon."

"….the ultimate lifeform…." Red added.

Blaine slowly nodded "Yes…unfortunately, one day the experiment went berserk. It killed everyone in that lab and fled the scene before anyone could get there."

"W-where did it go?" Leaf hesitated to ask.

"Remember that cave in Cerulean city?" Red asked as he crossed his arms.

Leaf nodded.

"It's believed that it sealed itself in that cave, waiting for someone strong enough to challenge it."

He then narrowed his eyes "…and that's what I intend to do! I'll capture it and make sure it never harms anyone ever again!"

Leafs eyes widened as she thought to herself "_This pokemon….it can't be…..no….that pokemons gone…_"

"Leaf….you ok?" Red asked in concern.

Leaf looked over at him and smiled "Yeah…yeah I'm ok! Let's go home Red."

"O-okay…" Red muttered as he watched her walk towards the exit.

As Red and Leaf were about to walk out of the gym, Blaine suddenly called out to them.

"Young lady! Wait!" He yelled as he ran towards them. "I got so caught up in my story that I forgot to give this to you!"

He then held out his hand with a fire shaped badge in it. "This is the volcano badge; you've definitely earned it today!"

Leaf smiled as she looked at it "Thank you so much Blaine!" she said as she accepted it.

"I know it's stupid of me to ask now…but may I ask your name?"

Leaf smirked and closed her eyes "Well…it's definitely a title that few have ever lived to hea-"

"No need for the title! Just tell him your name Leaf!" Red stated as he cut her off.

"It's Green! Leaf Green!"

Blaine smiled "Well Leaf Green, I wish you all the best!"

Leaf smiled back at him and Red motioned her over "Come on Leaf! This flight's taking off!"

"Coming!" She yelled as she ran over to him.

"Take care Blaine!" Red yelled out as he soared above.

"You too!" Blaine waved in response.

As he watched them fly away, Blaine couldn't help but think to himself "_Green….green…why does that name sound…..familiar…._" He wondered as he stroked his chin.

* * *

It was late when Red and Leaf returned home and they were currently discussing the days events.

"I can't believe it Leaf! We've captured all 3 mystic birds and you've got 7 badges now." Red excitedly said "I never thought I'd say this….but it looks like our journey's coming to an end."

"Isn't that awesome Leaf?!" Red asked, but she didn't reply.

Red looked over to see that Leaf was just standing there, taking in what he had just said.

"Our….journey's…..almost….over….." She muttered to herself.

Red walked over and put his hand on her shoulder "Hey….you ok? You've been kinda spacing out all day…" he asked out of concern.

Leaf immediately looked over at him "Huh? Oh yeah….just a little tired from the gym battle today"

Reds face suddenly lit up "The gym battle! Leaf that speech you gave today…" He started tearing up "Just….wow…you've changed so much….you're so amazing Leaf!" He stated as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Red…." She whispered back.

They stared at each other for a few seconds until Red suddenly leaned forward and kissed her on the lips, causing Leafs face to go flush.

Red was completely shocked at what he just did and as they parted lips, Red stuttered as he tried to find his words "I….I…"

Leaf put a finger to his lips "It…it's time for bed…" she whispered as she let go of him.

"_Oh-no! Did I take it too far?_" Red thought to himself as he tried to change the subject.

"Yeah…you'd better rest up, you know who you're fighting next" Red stated as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"Oh…I know…" Leaf chuckled and started walking up the stairs to her room "Good night Red…."

"Goodnight…." Red replied and closed his eyes. He was so frustrated that he couldn't tell her what was actually on his mind.

Pikachu then jumped up on his shoulder and gave him a tap "You think I should tell her how I really feel…." Red said as he scratched pikachus ear and looked towards Leafs room "I want to….but what if it doesn't work out…."

Even though she was really tired, Leaf couldn't sleep. She looked over to see her pink partner fast asleep beside her and Leaf started petting its head "Everything's….coming to an end jigglypuff…." she whispered.

Just then, a thought popped in Leafs head, a thought that…ever since she'd met Red, she had pushed aside because she never thought it could happen. But Reds words today had brought it to her attention again and it frightened her "_What if Red intends to ditch me once this is all over….._"


	17. Chapter 17: Fear Leads to Doubt

Chapter 17: Fear Leads to Doubt

The day of Leafs final gym battle had finally arrived and while Leaf should have been excited for it, she wasn't.

Earlier that morning, Red had left the house to help Blue prepare the gym for her arrival and Leaf was currently pacing back and forth throughout the house as her 5 pokemon watched her.

Ever since the thought of Red ditching her popped in her head, Leaf became increasingly nervous about their journey ending and the more she thought about it, the more nervous she became.

"What am I going to do guys!' She asked her pokemon as she continued to pace around "If Red ditches me….what's going to happen?"

Her pokemon just stared sadly at her, they knew Red would never leave her, but they had no way of explaining it to her.

"It….it's been so long since I last lived on the streets….I could never go back go that life ever again!" Leaf frightfully stated and then turned to her pokemon "….and then….there's you guys! I'll never be able to afford to take care of all you! Hell! I could barely afford to take care of you jigglypuff!"

Jigglypuff looked down at the ground and tried its best to reason with its friend "Jiggly! Jiggly!" It yelled as it waved its stubby arms in the air.

"I know! I know what you're all thinking: I should just ask Red right?" They all nodded and Leaf thought about it for a second "No! No! I can't ask Red…. He'll probably think I'm an idiot for thinking that….or…..what if he agrees with me and just kicks me out!"

Leaf quivered as she thought more about it "What if he's just like the rest of them….." She whispered "What if…he just wants to have his way with me…and then abandon me….."

Leaf fell to her knees grasped her head in pain "UGHH! There has to be some way I can find out for sure!"

She suddenly looked up as a thought popped in her head "Wait! There is one person I could ask….one person who knows Red better than anyone else." Leaf declared as she got up and looked out the window "….and I'm about to go fight him right now!"

With that, Leaf recalled all her pokemon and jigglypuff cautiously jumped up on her shoulder as the two made their way to Viridian city.

"_Blue has to know…he has too…._" Leaf thought as she walked down the road.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Viridian Gym

"Alright, explain to me again what the problem is Red…." Blue sighed as he rubbed his head.

"It's like I said Blue, I don't know if should I tell her how I feel or not!" Red stated, clearly stressed out.

Blue continued to rub his head "Red…you've taken this chick in, you've even saved her from the brink of death; do you really think she's going to reject you?"

"That's not the problem!" Red yelled.

"Well then, what **IS** the problem?!" Blue yelled back.

Red stuttered as he tried to find his words "It's just….I've had quite a few relationships before right?"

Blue nodded.

"….and every one of them went the same way: They start off great, but eventually disagreements happen and before you know it, we spilt up." Red paused as he thought about his current situation "…..with Leaf…..if something ever happened between us and drove us apart….what would happen?"

Blue raised an eyebrow as he started to understand what Red was getting at.

"Blue….she has nowhere to go….what am I supposed to do if we break up? Throw her out into the streets to starve? I could never do that!" Red threw his hands in the air, completely frustrated "I just don't know! I really want to tell her how I feel so bad! But every time I do, these thoughts pop in my head!"

Blue let his friend compose himself before calmly responding to him "….Red let me ask you something: Do you really care about her?"

Red took a deep breath and slowly nodded "Yes….I do…"

"Then you should have no problem." Blue assured him "Look you and I have had our ups and downs in the past and we're still friends. So if you care about her and she really cares about you, no matter what, you'll work it out."

Red stood there in silence, listening to every word his friend was telling him.

"..and if something does happen between the two of you and it ends…." Blue continued "Then that's just the way it is. But, it's a lot better then you worrying if something will happen and never taking a chance."

Red stared at his friend, amazed at what he had just said "Wow…that was…deep…for you."

Blue turned and pointed at him "I know and don't expect me to do it again!" he noted and shook his head "Look! I'll make this easy for you! If she beats me today, you have to tell her tonight!"

"T-tonight..." Red stuttered.

Blue nodded "Yep! No more worrying! It'll be done and you'll be happy!"

"O-okay! You've got a deal!" Red stated as he shook his friends hand.

Blue smiled "Right! Now let's forget about that and focus on the upcoming fight ok!"

Red nodded "You were saying the fight's going to be a 5 on 5, correct?" He remarked, trying to get back on topic.

Blue crossed his arms "That's right! I'm not holding back in this fight Red! My pride's on the line here!"

Red chuckled to himself "Don't underestimate her Blue! She's no push over!"

"Oh I know and believe me, if she beats me today, she'll be as good a trainer as I ever was!"

As they talked, the two were suddenly interrupted by the buzzing of the intercom.

"She's here!" Blue smirked as he stood up "Time to see just how strong she's become!" He remarked as he ran towards the door.

"….Leaf" Red whispered as he stood up as well and quietly followed.

* * *

Leaf watched as the giant iron doors of the Viridian gym opened to reveal Blue standing there waiting for her.

"Well well well! Look who it is!" She heard Blue call out "Who'd have ever thought this day would come girlie! I hope you're ready to run home crying!"

Leaf wasn't even paying attention to Blues taunts, her mind was still fixed on her issues with Red.

Upon thinking this, she looked over to see Red appear from the back and slowly walk towards her.

"Red!" She called out and ran over to him.

Despite all the conflicting thoughts she was having, she was still happy to see him.

"Hey…Leaf" He shyly responded.

"_That's strange._" Leaf thought to herself "_Red's usually a lot happier to see me….why would he-_"

Her thoughts were cut off as Red suddenly spoke up "Are you ready for this fight Leaf?"

"Uhh…yeah for sure…" She quietly responded.

Red looked away _"God! I've never felt this awkward talking to her before!" _He thought to himself_ "What's happened to us…." _

"HEY! DON'T IGNORE ME!" Blue yelled out, causing them both to look over "Are we doing this fight or what?"

Leaf slowly nodded "Right! Let's do this!" She replied and Blue smirked at her.

They each walked to their respectful ends of the field and Leaf looked over her shoulder as she boarded the lift expecting to see Red behind her, but instead she saw him walking over to the other side of the field.

"R-red….where are you going!" She cried out to him.

"This is your final gym battle Leaf, I can't help you with this one!" Red yelled out to her as he walked over to Blues side of the field.

"_B-but….I…want you to be beside me…._" She sadly thought to herself as she watched him walk away.

Blue glanced over as Red walked beside him "You'd better not try to distract me while you're up there!" He grunted at Red.

Red tipped his hat over his eyes "Don't worry…I just want to see Leaf fight from a different viewpoint, that's all…." He clarified as he and Blue boarded their lift.

"_Hmph…sure you do you Red. I think you're just nervous to be around her!"_ Blue scoffed to himself.

* * *

The stage was set for the final gym battle as Blue announced "Alright girlie! This will be a 5 on 5 pokemon battle and if that scares you, you're free to leave now!"

Leaf gritted her teeth at him "I'm not afraid!" She yelled back and summoned her first pokemon "Moltres! Let's end this!"

Blue smirked evilly as the legendary bird of fire flew on the battle field.

"Are you ready to see your little girlfriend fail Red?!" Blue mocked as he threw his first pokemon on the battlefield as well "Tyranitar! Come out!" he yelled.

Shocked, Red immediately turned to him "A Johto pokemon?! Are you serious?"

Leafs eyes widened as the hulking armored pokemon appeared on the battlefield "W-what kind of pokemon is that?" She panicked "I've never seen anything like it before!"

On the other side of the field, Blue was laughing to himself "Are you ready for the fun to begin Red? The girl's frightened! She has no idea what type tyranitar is!"

Red worryingly looked over at her "_Come on Leaf! You've gotta recall moltres now!_" He thought as he watched her hesitate in making her next move.

Leaf narrowed her eyes and called out "Moltres! Use flamethrower on it!"

Moltres blasted tyranitar with an intense stream of fire, but when the smoke cleared, tyranitar was standing there, completely unaffected.

"No….way….it didn't do anything…" She whispered.

"Come on girlie! Is that all you have?" She heard Blue yell from across the field "That was pathetic! Attack me again!"

"_No! Please! You need to stop Leaf!_" Red yelled in his head, but it was no use "MOLTRES! USE SKY ATTACK!" He heard her call out.

Red had to cover his eyes, he couldn't watch what was about to happen next.

Moltres engulfed itself in flames and charged at tyranitar.

Blue then called out "Tyranitar! Stone edge! NOW!"

Upon hearing the command, tyranitar to formed a giant boulder in its hand and smashed it into moltres as it was charging towards it.

The resulting impact caused Moltres to fall to the ground, fainting it instantly.

Leaf stood there in shock of what just happened "H-how…."

"I told you girlie!" Blue called out "Mystic bird or not, you're not fighting just anyone! You're fighting a former champion!"

Red glanced over at his friend "I bet you tell that to every challenger who faces you, right?"

Leaf quietly returned Moltres and started thinking to herself "_Ughh! What the hell is this thing?! Think Leaf! It used a rock move….what's good against rock types?"_

She snapped her fingers and pulled out her next pokemon "I've got it! Clefable let's go!"

Blue scoffed as he saw clefable summoned to the battlefield "Another pink balloon huh? You never learn!"

A smile formed on Reds face "I wouldn't be so sure of that…" He muttered to himself.

"Tyranitar! Crunch!" Blue yelled out.

"Clefable! Focus Blast!" Leaf responded.

Clefable's focus blast made a direct hit with the charging tyranitar, knocking over effortlessly.

Blue stood there with his mouth agape "No…way…." He whispered and turned to see Red chuckling to himself "WHAT'S SO FUNNY!"

Red tipped his hat "I don't even think Leaf knew about the 4 times weakness fighting type moves have on tyranitar…but she still pulled it off!"

Blue then looked over at Leaf who was wagging her finger at him "I'm sorry? What was that about you being a former champion?" She laughed at him.

Blue was furious and immediately summoned his next pokemon.

The battle raged on for a while and neither side had any clear advantage over the other. Currently, Leaf still had 2 pokemon, while Blue only had one, however…..

"Arcanine! Flare Blitz!" Blue called out to his main pokemon.

"Articuno! NO!" Leaf cried out as articuno was brought down by the fire pokemon.

She sighed as she returned her pokemon "It's ok articuno….arcanine had the advantage over you." Hesitation then started to form in her voice "….but now…."

Realizing the current situation, Blue started laughing, he knew what Leafs last pokemon was "It's time to call it quits girlie! There's no way your little pink balloon can beat arcanine!"

Leaf looked over at her partner with hesitation. Ever since she had caught more powerful pokemon like articuno, she hadn't been using jigglypuff very much in battle.

"Jigglypuff…." She said as she looked down at her partner "…I believe in you, I know you can do it!"

Jigglypuff nodded in return and jumped onto the battlefield.

Before the fight got underway, Leaf looked over at Red and remembered his words _"….the best will win…no matter what! Right….Red?_" She thought as she stared at him.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, Blue was still gloating "Gotta admit Red, I'm surprised! I thought she would have given up!"

Red looked over at her and shook his head "I'm not! Even when she wants to give up, she never does!"

"HMPH!" Blue grunted as he turned his attention back to the battle "Well that won't save her here! Arcanine! Take down!"

Arcanine slammed into jigglypuff, causing it to get launched in the air.

Leaf didn't have a moment to hesitate; she immediately called out "Jigglypuff! Use all your momentum and use rollout!"

Jigglypuff quickly curled into a ball and charged directly at arcanine, knocking it back as it made contact.

"_Come on Leaf! You can do it!_" Red thought as he heard her call out "Don't stop! Keep it up jigglypuff!"

"Arcanine! Stop it with flare blitz!"

Arcanine engulfed itself in flame and smashed into the oncoming jigglypuff, causing to collide into a wall and fall to the ground.

"NO!" Leaf screamed as her pokemon tried to stand up.

"It's over! Finish it with one more flare blitz!"

Red gritted his teeth "_Come on jigglypuff! Move!_"

Jigglypuff winced as it stood up and saw arcanine charging towards it.

Suddenly, without warning, a ball of energy started forming in jigglypuffs hand "JIGGLY!" It screamed out loud and fired a huge beam towards arcanine.

"WHAT THE-" Blue yelled as his pokemon was overtaken by the beam.

Jigglypuff finally released the attack to see the fainted arcanine slide towards it and land at its feet "J-jiggly?" It blinked, shocked at what it just did.

"JIGGLYPUFF!" Leaf yelled out to it and quickly boarded the lift to get down to its level.

Meanwhile, Blue still couldn't believe what he had just seen "What just happened?!"

Red patted his shoulder "Well my friend…" He stated "Looks like you just got moonblasted!"

Blue grasped his head in disbelief "UGHH! Impossible!"

Leaf couldn't wait for the lift to reach the ground and jumped off "Jigglypuff! What did you just do?" She asked as she ran over.

Jigglypuff looked around, just as confused as she was "…jiggly?" It replied and raised it arms in the air.

"OH! Who cares!" Leaf stated as she ran over and hugged her pokemon "Jigglypuff! We did it! We've finally proved ourselves!"

Jigglypuff didn't say anything; it just closed its eyes and rubbed its head against hers.

It was done; they had finally accomplished what they had set out to do.

As Leaf opened her eyes, she saw both Blue and Red walking over to her "RED!" She yelled as she ran over to him.

"That was amazing! Jigglypuff learned moonblast during the battle!" Red stated, completely forgetting how nervous he was before.

"Moon…blast?" She asked confused.

"Yep! It's a fairy type move and a strong one too!" He replied.

"Fairy…type" Leaf confusingly asked again.

"It's just been discovered that jigglypuff and some other pokemon around here are actually a new type known as the fairy type. It has powers you can't imagine!"

"Wait! You knew that all along and you didn't tell me!" Leaf yelled as she punched him in the shoulder.

Red tipped his hat "I wanted you to find out for yourself."

"…and a hell of a time for it to reveal itself" Blue muttered to himself as he glanced away.

"So…" Leaf said turning to Blue "I guess this pink balloon actually managed to kick your ass after all huh?"

She watched as Red covered his mouth to stop himself from laughing and Blue gritted his teeth.

"….yeah….I guess it did…" He noted at he reached into his pocket.

Blue sighed as he extended his hand to her "Congratulations! You're not just some girlie anymore….Leaf…." Blue stated as he presented Leaf with the earth badge.

As Leaf glanced down at the earth badge a smirk formed on her face "….thanks….but…." She then reached into her pocket and grabbed the earth badge she had stolen from him the day they first met "….but I've already got one!"

Leaf watched as Blues face turned white as a ghost and his eyes bulged as far as they could go "WHAT!" He yelled as he frantically looked at her badge "THIS IS….HOW DID YOU!"

Leaf closed her eyes and shook her head "Maybe next time you'll think twice before insulting me!"

All of a sudden, there was a bright flash of light and Blue turned around to see Red holding a camera "Oh! I've been waiting a long time to see how this reaction would turn out and it didn't disappoint!" He chuckled.

Blue glared intensely at him "YOU KNEW ABOUT THIS?!"

Red shrugged "Uhh Blue…you do know that she lives with me right? Of course I knew!" He gave his friend a pat on the shoulder "Maybe it's time for you to start counting your badges!" Red stated as he and Leaf started laughing.

"DEATH! DEATH TO YOU BOTH!" Blue yelled out to them and stormed off to the back of the gym.

"Think we upset him Red?" Leaf sarcastically asked.

"Whatever gave you that idea Leaf?" He jokingly responded.

"Here!" Red said as he passed Leaf a hyper potion "Let's get to work!"

They took turns healing each pokemon and after a few minutes they were all feeling better.

"You know….Blue hasn't come back yet." Leaf noted as she looked toward the back of the gym "Do you think he took it personally?"

Red shook his head "I'm sure he's fine." He reassured her.

"Still….I think I should apologise to him…I don't feel right for what I did." She stared

"Fine, do what you want Leaf, I'll finish up here"

Leaf passed Red her last hyper potion and started walking to the back.

"_Good…_" She thought to herself "_I'll finally get a chance to speak to Blue alone….I can finally get my answer…._"

* * *

Leaf made her way to the back of the gym and saw Blue talking to someone on his PokeNav. She knocked on the door to get his attention and he quickly ended his call.

"What do you want!" Blue demanded as he turned around.

Leaf was taken aback by his tone "Sorry Blue…er…I mean Gary-" She stuttered trying to remember his name.

"Blue! Just call me Blue!" He sighed "That's what Red calls me; you'd might as well do the same!"

"Alright…Blue, I was wondering if I could talk to you about Red?"

Blue glanced away "_Oh boy….here we go…_" He thought as he turned back to her "Sure, what do you want to know?"

"Well….it's just….our journey's ending soon and….well…do you think Red will keep me around when it's all over?"

A puzzled look formed on Blues face "What?"

"Do you think he's going to leave me?" Leaf clarified "He's been acting really weird lately."

Blue started rubbing his temple "_Congratulations Red! Now she doubts you! You should have told her!_" He thought to himself.

"PLEASE! I NEED TO KNOW!" Leaf yelled out, unable to wait any longer.

Blue sighed "Leaf….seriously…Red has gone through hell for your sake….why would he ever ditch you?"

"W-well I…"

"Look! I've known Red for as long as I can remember and you may not know this, but the Red you know now is not the same as when I knew him" Blue sighed as he continued "After his mom died, Red was never the same. He became distant and started constantly traveling places….I don't think he knew what he wanted."

Blue then took a deep breath as he thought about how things were now "But, when I saw him again, for the first time, after all those years…something had changed….it seemed like…something gave him purpose again."

"Y-you mean….me?" Leaf whispered.

"Look, I don't know what he sees in you or what you've done, but I do know that he's a lot happier now and I know for a fact that he…cares about you" Blue then stood up and pointed at her "You want my advice? Enjoy what you have and get the stupid idea out of your head!"

"I…I see….thank you…" Leaf quietly responded as Blue walked away.

"Come on! I gotta tell Red something!" He stated as he walked out the door. "_I'm not going to tell her how you actually feel Red, that's something you'll have to do yourself!_" Blue thought to himself as he and Leaf made their way back out to the stadium.

* * *

Red had just finished healing all the pokemon when heard a voice call out his name.

"RED!"

He turned around to see Leaf running towards him with Blue slowly following behind.

As she finally reached him, Leaf grabbed his arm and nuzzled her head into his shoulder, causing him to blush profusely.

"I…I see you managed to drag him out Leaf." Red said as he turned to his friend "What where you doing back there? You weren't crying were you?" He teased.

"I WASN'T CRYING YOU IDIOT!" Blue yelled at him and sighed "…I was on the phone with Daisy."

"Your sister?" Red asked.

"Yeah, she wanted to know if you two wanted to join us for dinner?"

Red was taken aback, now he felt terrible for teasing Blue "Umm…sure that sounds lovely!" He then glanced over at his partner "What do you think Leaf?"

Leaf raised her hand in the air and started jumping around "FREE FOOD!" She yelled out.

"Exactly the response I expected…" Red sarcastically muttered to himself as Leaf began to drag him out the door.

Meanwhile, Blue stood there with his eyes closed and arms crossed thinking to himself "_HMPH! They've made a fool out of me and insulted me today! Why should we invite them to dinner!_"

As he opened his eyes, he saw Red and Leaf standing in front of him and Leaf grabbed his hand.

"Come on Blue!" She stated as she started dragging him as well "We can't get into your house without you!"

"HEY! HEY! NOT SO FAST!" Blue argued as the three of them ran towards Blues house.

* * *

When they finally arrived, Daisy greeted them all and within minutes the food was laid before them.

"This looks delicious Daisy! Thank you very much!" Red stated and Daisy smiled at him

"Anything for an old friend, it's been so long since I've seen you As….I mean Red." She replied.

Red scratched his head "Sorry….I've been busy…."

Daisy smiled and looked over at Leaf, who was stuffing her face "So I see!"

Upon hearing that, Leaf looked up and blushed.

"So Leaf!" Daisy started "How did you and Red meet?"

Leaf's eyes shifted back and forth, "Uhhh…." She then turned and whispered into Reds ear "What was the story we made up?"

Red sighed and whispered back "…**I was lost** remember."

"I WAS LOST!" Leaf suddenly announced but completely forgot the rest "…and….Red…helped….me?"

Red face palmed and Blue looked confused "That's not what I heard! Red told me he was the one that was lost!" Blue stated.

"THAT'S CAUSE IT WAS ME THAT WAS LOST!" Red yelled out and pointed at Leaf "Ms. Green here got the facts all mixed up!"

"Well excuuussseee me!" Leaf sarcastically yelled back and everyone started laughing.

After dinner, they decided to play a game of monopoly with the boys vs the girls. Unfortunately for Red and Blue, things weren't going to well for them.

"Come on Blue! We need a good roll here!" Red pleaded as his friend rolled the dice.

"Quit your worrying Red! I got this!"

The dice stopped at 7 and Blue landed right in his enemy's territory.

Leaf and Daisy looked at each other and smirked "Let's see…" Leaf began "The earth gym with a red pokemon centre on it is…..10 000 pokedollars!" She laughed.

"Well…looks like we're mortgaging another property….thanks Blue!" Red sighed in defeat.

Blue glared at him "Oh yeah…cause the rock gym was such a great investment right Red?!" He retorted.

"Hey! At least I'm making us money!" Red shot back as the two stood up and gritted their teeth at one another.

While all this was going on, Daisy was chuckling to herself "Just like old times…" She reminisced.

"Where they always like this?" Leaf asked.

"Believe me Leaf, it was much worse when they were younger." She then stopped and smiled "But…that's why they're such good friends!"

They continued to play for a few more hours until the sun began to set.

"Well, I think we should head home Leaf." Red said as he yawned "Thank you for everything you two!"

"Yeah! I had a great time!" Leaf chimed in.

Daisy smiled at them "Feel free to stop by anytime!"

Red looked over to see Blue motioning him over "What's up?" He asked.

"Red…she beat me…you know what you promised me."

Upon hearing that, Reds nerves began acting up, he had completely forgot his promise to tell Leaf how he felt.

"Remember Red…" Blue explained "Don't be afraid, just tell her and you'll be fine!"

"Okay…" Red muttered back and ran back over to where Leaf and Daisy where.

* * *

Red and Leaf finally waved goodbye and started making their way back home.

"That was so much fun Red!" Leaf stated looking over at him.

"Yeah….it's nice to be with friends." Red replied.

As they walked, Reds nervousness started returning to him and he immediately looked away. He was so nervous about what he had to do now and had no idea how was going to tell Leaf how he felt.

It didn't help that Red suddenly felt the warmth of Leafs hand in his own. He quickly looked over to see her smiling and brushing up against him and he quickly looked away again. "_Come on Red! Tell her already!_" Red thought.

At the same time, Leaf wanted to take this opportunity to ask Red what his plans where…but she hesitated "_Come on Leaf! Ask him already!_" She thought as well.

"UHH…" They both said at the same time.

"You first." Red said, trying to buy himself more time.

"I…..just wanted to thank you for your help in the battle today." Leaf said as she smiled at him.

Red looked at her confused "Huh? How did I help?"

"Your words: The best will win no matter what!" Leaf replied "They gave me the confidence to keep going today!"

Red couldn't help but smile at what she had just said "Well, they're good words to live by Leaf!" He replied.

"Okay! Now tell me what's on your mind!" Leaf asked as she playfully nudged him "_Even if what I just told you wasn't what I really wanted to ask you…."_

"Well…." Red started and then saw the house come into view "W-we're almost home! L-let's wait till we get there and I'll tell you." He nervously stated.

"Aww! Don't leave me in suspense Red!" She teased as they walked back to the house.

* * *

Back at the house, Red and Leaf were reflecting on everything that had happened. "So Leaf…now that you have all 8 badges…are you going to challenge the champion?" Red asked.

"I only collected these badges to prove a point. I have no interest in being champion." Leaf replied.

"I..I..see" Red whispered.

The two awkwardly stared at each other for a few seconds before Leaf slowly walked towards Red and hugged him. In turn, Red blushed as he felt the warmth of her body against his.

"_Why isn't he saying anything to me?_" Leaf thought as she squeezed him tight "_Please…I beg you…don't leave me Red…" _

Red, on the other hand, was going crazy "_Come on Red…any minute now!_" He yelled in his mind "_Say something you idiot!_"

They hugged for a few seconds before Leaf finally said "Well….I'm going to bed….I'll see you tomorrow."

As he watched her walk up the stairs, Red suddenly ran up and grabbed her hand.

"Leaf wait!" he yelled out "_Here we go!_ _It's time!_" Red thought to himself as she quickly turned around, a shocked expression on her face "Leaf! There's something I need to tell you…."

Leaf waited, but nothing came out of Reds mouth "…yes….Red?" She inquired.

Reds eyes darted from side to side "I…I…" He started "_Come on Red! Say it already!_" He yelled to himself. "I….never congratulated you on your win today….." He blurted out. "_No! Stupid! Stupid! That's not it!_"

Leaf stared at him before giving a weak smile "…thank you…." She replied, but saw that his mouth was still opened "Umm….is that all?" she asked as she looked down at Reds hand.

"Y-yes….t-that's all…" Red replied as he hastily let go of her hand.

"….oh….okay….." Leaf whispered and looked disappointed as she slowly walked upstairs.

As soon as Leaf was out of sight, Red ran outside and slammed his fist against the wall "….frigging coward…." He muttered to himself as he looked up at the sky, the image of them fighting and him throwing Leaf back out into the streets constantly playing in his head.

"_What am I supposed to do?_" He thought as he ran his hand through his hair.

As Red stared into the sky, he started to think about all the adventures he and Leaf just had. He thought of all the times they had laughed, cried, got angry and through it all, they stayed true to one another.

He missed those days….he missed how Leaf would playfully joke around with him, how she would make him laugh and how she would blush whenever he got close with her.

"What am I doing?" Red whispered as he looked at the stars "The more I worry about asking her….the more it'll drive Leaf and I apart!" He rubbed his head and looked down at the ground "God….I'm such an idiot! If I keep worrying like this….the thing I'm afraid of happening….is going to happen anyway!"

Red turned and looked towards her room with confidence "I'm sorry Leaf….tomorrow…..tomorrow I will tell you how I really feel…..I promise!" He stated.

* * *

Meanwhile, Leaf tried her best to fall asleep, but it was no use, even with Blues advice, the idea that Red would leave her continued to haunt her thoughts.

"_I think I need a drink of water to calm myself down…_" Leaf thought as she got up.

She exited her room and was about to walk down the stairs when she heard someone talking. It was Red talking on his PokeNav and Leaf hid behind the railings as she listened to what he was saying.

"Yes that's right Mewtwo….the ultimate lifeform! That's what I'm going after and I will capture it!"

Leafs eyes widened "_M-mewtwo…..no….that can't be…." _She thought as she continued to listen to his conversation.

"I'm sorry ok! I should have told her tonight…..Who cares! I've thought of something else….Is everything all arranged…..thanks I knew I could count on you….don't worry there's nothing valuable here…..her?...no she's…nothing….don't worry about it….ok sounds good…I can't wait!"

Leaf was stunned "_Red…..really…is…going….to…..leave me….._" she thought with a blank expression on her face as tears began to well up in her eyes _"W-why….why did I think it would be any different!"_

She slowly walked back to her room, all the while thinking "_It's….over…._"


	18. Chapter 18:A Clash of Ideals Red Vs Leaf

**Hello ladies and gentleman…I know….I got some explaining to do…..So you're probably all wondering where this chapter has been and why it's taken so long to write. Well, as I've mentioned in the past, I have had a lot of changes recently: new job, new city I'm living in etc. And you know, I'd want to write it, but then I'd be so tired and I'd hold off on doing it for a day. Then before I knew it, days were turning into weeks and now it's been over a month. It didn't help that this is a very important chapter and I wanted it to be the best that it could. I really apologize, especially since I left you guys on such a cliffhanger ending. Thank you for being so patient with me and I hope this chapter makes up for it. You guys are the best and I'll do my best to make sure the next chapters don't take so long.**

* * *

Chapter 18: A Clash of Ideals Red Vs Leaf

The sun rose over Pallet town as Red lay in his bed, half asleep.

He rolled over on his back, when suddenly something poked at his cheek "Hmm….five more minutes Pikachu…." He mumbled and pushed the pokemons small hand away.

Pikachu narrowed its eyes and gave Red a small jolt of electricity that made him jump out of bed.

"OWW!" He yelled "OK! I'm up! I'm up!"

Pikachu smiled and jumped on its trainers shoulder "Pika! Pika!" It called out to him.

Red glanced over at his partner, still half asleep "Huh? What was that?" His eyes suddenly widened as he remembered what he was going to do "Oh Right! Leaf! Today's the day!" He exclaimed with glee as he petted his partner on the head "You think I should tell her now?"

Pikachu happily nodded and motioned him towards her door "Ok! Ok!" Red chuckled as he got up "This will be a big surprise to start her day!"

Red then quietly crept to her door and gave it a soft knock "Oh Leaf?" He announced, but there was no answer. Red proceeded to knock on her door again "Leaf? Hello! Time to get up!" He called out, but still there was no response. Red worryingly looked down at Pikachu and then grabbed the door knob "Hey! Decent or not! I'm coming in!"

He opened the door and saw that nobody was there; no Leaf and no jigglypuff.

"I guess…..she went out this morning?" Red stated as he crossed his arms "Strange….she usually tells me if she's going out….."

Pikachu worryingly jumped on Reds shoulder and he petted its head "It's ok, last night I was thinking of making a surprise for her….and since she's out, this is the perfect time to do it! Come on!"

Red ran downstairs and worked on his surprise for a few hours, when he heard a knock on the door.

"That must be her!" He happily thought as he looked over at the door "It's open Leaf! Come In!" Red yelled out.

"Leaf?" A voice responded as the door opened to reveal Blue standing there "Nope! Not her! Just me!" He remarked.

"Oh Blue it's you…." Red greeted with a hint of sadness in his voice "Sorry….I've been waiting for Leaf to get back."

Blue looked at his friend confused "She's not with you? I thought you two were inseparable?"

"She's not tied to me Blue! She can do what she wants!" Red shot back.

"Fair enough." Blue chuckled and then pointed to Reds shirt "What the hell are you doing wearing that stupid apron?"

Red looked down at the white apron around his waist "Cooking! What does it look like I'm doing?" He retorted "I wanted to cook Leaf a fancy meal for tonight….but…well…all I know how to make is cold cereal…and maybe toast….so I'm following a cookbook…"

Blue started to stroke his chin "….that's right! I have seen you make toast before!" He chuckled "You can't butter it! But you can make it!"

Red glared at him "THANKS!"

The two talked for a few minutes before Blue finally brought it up.

"I still can't believe you backed out last night!" Blue stated as he crossed his arms "After we promised and everything….."

"Hey! I'm sorry ok! I got nervous and….I just couldn't tell her…." Red explained as he looked away "But I'm telling her today for su-"

Red stopped talking as Blue suddenly started looking around and sniffing the air "Red…is something burning?"

Reds eyes widened as far as they could go "MY FARFETCHED!" He screamed as he ran towards the kitchen.

Blue followed and as they got closer to the kitchen, they could see black smoke coming out of the oven.

"OH NO!" Red yelled and grabbed one of his pokeballs "Blastoise! Hydro pump! Hurry!"

As soon as Blastoise came out of its pokeball it sprayed the oven down with water….but it was too late.

"DAMN IT!" Red muttered as he pulled out the burnt farfetched and showed it to his friend "Look Blue….it's ruined…."

Blue raised his eyebrows as he saw the burnt bird "Oh! She's going to be impressed…." He teased "Just tell her it's Cajun."

Red gave him a confused look "What's that mean?"

"I'll tell you later." Blue sighed and patted his friend on the shoulder "Look Red…..I don't want to be the bearer of bad news but…..I don't think your farfetched is going to cut it. Do you know how to make anything else?"

Red thought for a minute before snapping his finger "….jelly sandwiches!" He stated with glee.

"You'd better get cracking!" Blue noted.

Red ran to the fridge to grab the ingredients he needed "You know….I used to love it when mom would make me jelly sandwiches with peanut butter in them!" He then turned to Blue "You did too when we were kids! Remember?"

Blue looked at the floor and smiled "Yeah….I remember.…" He whispered as he felt something in his pocket.

"Oh Red! I almost forgot!" Blue exclaimed as he pulled a letter out of his pocket "This was on your doorstep, it's addressed to you!" He said as he handed Red the letter.

Red scratched the back of his head "Thanks Blue, I've been so busy cooking, I haven't had a chance to get the mail yet…" He noted as walked into the living room to open it.

As he stared at the envelope, Reds heart started to beat faster as he noticed something "_T-that's Leafs handwriting!_"

Without thinking, he tore the letter open and quivered as he started reading the contents inside;

* * *

Dear Red,

If you're reading this letter, your probably wondering where I am….or maybe you're not, I don't know. I've decided….it would be best for both of us if I left. Please don't get upset over me, this was my choice. I care about you a lot Red…..I always have and I really wanted to believe that you and I would be together forever, but I just know that's not going to happen. I mean, let's face it Red, you and I live in two different worlds: You're a champion and I'm just some stupid thief who's worth nothing in this world. I can't believe how hard it must have been for you to show yourself in public with a convicted felon every day of your life and I can't thank you enough for putting on a straight face for my sake. But, I don't want to be the one responsible for holding you back and there are things I know you want to do that…I just can't follow anymore. So I think its best if we go our separate ways and never see one another again. I can only hope that one day you find someone who will tryly make you happy, because you deserve it and I don't. Please….don't follow me….this is what I want….and….I think…..this is what you want too.

I'll never forget what you've done for me and those wonderful days we've spent together….thank you for everything you've done for me Red.

Good-bye

Leaf

* * *

Pikachu watched as Reds face became as pale as a ghost and the letter slowly fell from his hand.

"_Good-bye?_"

His hands were shaking and even though Red had been in intense battles before, his heart was beating faster than it had ever beaten before in his life.

"_W-wha…what…have…I…done?_" Red felt like he was about to throw up, every muscle in body wanted to move at once, but Red had no idea where to start. Without thinking, he burst back into the kitchen, surprising Blue.

"Red what's wrong?" Blue asked as he watched his friend frantically look around.

Red panted furiously as he tried to form words "I…I…I…just…I NEED TO GO! I NEED TO LEAVE RIGHT NOW!" He yelled.

Blue didn't know how to react to his friend's sudden change in behaviour "Wha-What's wrong?! What happened?!"

"N-nothing…..I…I'll be back….please just watch over the house for me!" Red continued to stutter as he grabbed his bag and ran out the door.

"RED!" Blue yelled out to him, but it was too late, Red was already halfway up the road.

Red 's mind was a complete mess, he didn't know where he should start looking for Leaf, so he just kept running until he was completely exhausted.

"It's…no…use….pikachu" Red panted as he looked at his partner "I don't know how we're going to find her….."

Pikachu didn't know what to do either, and it gave Red a reassuring pat on the shoulder to try to comfort him.

Defeated, Red looked up at the sky "_Leaf….where could you be?_" He thought, and as he stared at the clouds a thought popped in his head _"….Wait a minute!_"

As fast as he could, Red took out his PokeNav and opened it "_It's a long shot, but if Leaf has her PokeNav on….I might be able to find where she is!_"

Red punched in a few commands and in a few seconds his eyes lit up as his PokeNav started to pick up her signal.

"Pika! PIka!" Pikachu shouted as it jumped with glee.

"That's right Pikachu! She still has it on!" He stated as he took out a pokeball from his bag "Charizard! Come out!"

Charizard emerged from its pokeball and Red quickly climbed on top "Hurry! Let's go find her!" He commanded.

* * *

The three followed Leafs signal and as the signal got stronger, Red started to recognize the area he was heading towards.

"_This is….that route Leaf was always staring at when we walked past…._" He thought as they flew through the air.

As they continued down the route, Red noticed that the trees were growing much denser and it was becoming harder for them to fly.

Not wanting to cause him or his pokemon harm, Red ordered charizard to land and as he jumped off, Reds eyes widened as he looked upon a giant forest with a small path leading inside.

"_Leaf….seriously…..where the hell did you run off too?_" He thought up as he examined the dense forest. "Looks like we'll have to go at it on foot from here." Red stated as he recalled charizard and followed the narrow path into the woods.

The forest was a tangled, overgrown mess and before long, the path that they had been following had completely disappeared, overgrown by the vegetation. All they had now was Leafs signal telling them which way to go.

As they continued to walk deeper into the forest, Red caught glimpse of what looked like a small clearing ahead "The PokeNav says Leaf is just up ahead!" Red said as he and pikachu began running toward it.

As they made their way out of the forest, their eyes were met with a giant run down old mansion. All the windows had been shattered, parts of the siding looked as if they had been burnt and vegetation had begun to grow all around it.

"This looks like something straight out of a horror movie!" Red quivered, but his eyes widened as he spotted a familiar face sitting on the front steps, crying; it was jigglypuff.

"Jigglypuff!" Red yelled out and started running towards the small pink pokemon.

Jigglypuff looked up and jumped into Reds arms as he ran towards it "Jigglypuff….you're safe…." He whispered as he hugged it "Where's Leaf?"

Jigglypuff cautiously pointed towards the house and then immediately buried its head into Reds jacket "….jiggly…" It whimpered.

"It's ok..." He said as he petted its head and put it down on the ground "You two stay here! I'm going to find her!" Red said as he entered the run down mansion.

* * *

The inside of the mansion was full of cobwebs, dust and on more than occasion; Red thought he saw something move, he continued to persevere, determined to find her.

"LEAF! LEAF! WHERE ARE YOU?!" He constantly called out as he made his way through the foyer "_…..why would you ever run here?_" Red thought to himself as he listened to the floor boards creak.

Red continued to follow his PokeNav and was about to give up when he finally found her. Leaf was sitting on a stairwell, her clothes were all wet and dirty and her face was buried in her hands; she was crying.

"Leaf?" Red quietly called to her.

Upon hearing his voice, Leaf immediately looked up "You…." She whispered "H-how did you find me?"

Red held his PokeNav in the air "With this! You must have left it on and I tracked you here."

Leaf looked at her PokeNav and gritted her teeth "I'VE ALWAYS HATED THIS STUPID THING!" She yelled as she threw the PokeNav against the wall and started to tear up again "I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU NOT TO COME AFTER ME!"

Red shrugged as he slowly made his way towards her and as he did, Red noticed that Leaf was holding a picture in her hands "I….was never known for my listening skills." He noted.

Leaf blinked a few times before looking away "I….wish…you didn't come…." She whispered.

Red narrowed his eyes "WHY! What the hell is this place Leaf? Why would you ever run to a place like this?"

"What do you care!" Leaf snapped back at him.

"Well I don't know much about running away…..but a spooky abandoned mansion wouldn't be my first choice!" Red replied, trying to make light of the situation "Leaf…of course I care….you and I….we're…..you know….close….at least I thought we were….."

Leaf sighed "You…really…want….to know?" She choked through tears with her head still turned away.

Red slowly nodded "Yes…..I do."

Leaf took a deep breath "This place Red…..is where I grew up….."

Red looked at her confused "Here? But I thought you said you didn't know your parents and had always lived on the streets?"

Leaf rested her head on her shoulder "Yeah….well…..I didn't know you back then…."

She then proceed to stand up and began looking around "Even though it's been years and this place is all run down…..it's still….home..." She reminisced as she showed Red the photo in her hand, it was a picture of a young Leaf and her parents "See, my mom was a part-time pokemon performer and my dad…..worked in a laboratory….."

Upon hearing that, Red opened his mouth to say something, but Leaf stopped him "Regardless of what you may think, it wasn't a very happy life…my dad would work long hours and when he finally did come home….he would usually ignore me or criticise me for annoying him and not being good enough…then-" Leaf stopped mid-sentence as sadness filled her eyes "Then one day…everything changed…." Leaf took another deep breath before continuing "…..my dad came home from work in a panic, his face was pale as if he had seen a ghost. He quickly took my mom into a separate room and then after a few minutes, came back to talk to me. He sat me on his lap and for the first time ever, apologised to me for his behaviour. He said he was sorry for all the times he criticized me and that he was proud of me for being so strong through it all and to never lose that strength. He ended our talk by saying that he loved me more than anything in the world…." Leaf proceeded to bite her lip "….he died the next day…the pokemon they were experimenting on went berserk, killed everyone in the lab and fled."

Red covered his mouth in shock, remembering what Blaine had told them "You mean?"

Leaf nodded.

"What about your mom?" Red asked in concern.

Leaf slowly looked down at her picture as the memory came back to her"…my mom…." She hesitated for a second before continuing "I was coming home from school the day after my father's death. As I approached the mansion, I was surprised that all the lights in the house were off and that moms jigglypuff was sitting on the step outside the door, holding a note in its hand…. I still remember the look in its eyes as it handed me that note….it said:

* * *

My Dear Leaf,

I'm sorry, I'm not strong enough to deal with all this and a world without your father is too much for me to handle. I only have one regret and that is I won't be able to see my little girl grow up.

Good bye Leaf, please remember that I'll love you always.

Mom

* * *

"Immediately I threw the note on the ground and ran inside screaming her name…and I'll never forget what I saw…she had hung herself from the chandelier in the living room. Scared out of my wits, I grabbed jigglypuff and ran as far away as I could….I had nowhere to go….but I just kept running….."

Red couldn't believe it "So…that's how you came to live on the streets…."

Leaf slowly nodded "I can still remember the first theft I committed." She stated as she paced around the room "Jigglypuff and I had no money for food, so we came up with a plan to steal some. I walked up to a gentleman on the street and acted like I was lost and needed directions, while he talked to me, jigglypuff stole 500 from him….. It may seem like nothing to you…but to us, it was enough to buy us our first meal in a week."

Red noticed that Leafs voice was quivering even more as she continued.

"As the years went on, I learned new methods to steal from people and as I got older, I discovered a new tool I could use….."

Red hesitated to ask "…and that was…"

Leaf looked away "….myself…. I sold myself to countless men….it was an effective method to get what I wanted…." She then collapsed to her knees and grasped her head "I've sinned more than any person should be allowed…but I did it to live and then that all changed…"

"How so?"

Leaf quickly glanced over at him "I met you…."

Upon hearing that, Red couldn't help but feel his face go flush as he continued to listen to her.

"For the first time since my parents died I met someone who…actually cared about me…..I couldn't believe it and every day I pinched myself because I didn't think it could be true….and truth be told…..I still don't believe it's real…..someone actually cares…..and then….without realising it...I started to care back." Tears were streaming down her face as she continued "Red….I cared about you….to the point that….you became everything to me…..I….I…wanted to help you achieve your goal…..I wanted to make you happy…..and no matter what….I did it for you….and now…..I….."

Red sighed as he looked down at her "Leaf…." He whispered as he extended his hand. "Come on….let's go home…"

Leaf looked at his hand and immediately slapped it away "NO! DON'T TOUCH ME! I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO!" She yelled at him "YOU'RE GOING TO RELEASE THE MONSTER THAT KILLED MY DAD!" She then got up and ran away "just….just….LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Stunned at her sudden outburst, Red ran after her "HEY COME BACK!" he called out as he tried to catch up to her.

* * *

Red pursued Leaf, out of the mansion and all the way out into the courtyard before he finally managed to catch up to her.

"LEAF! STOP!" Red yelled to her as he grabbed her hand "Why are you acting like this?"

"How….could….you" Leaf muttered to herself.

"What?"

Leaf then turned around and got right up in his face "HOW COULD YOU EVEN THINK OF TAKING ON MEWTWO RED!" She yelled at him.

Red looked away "I…I have to Leaf…..I'm the only one who can do it….." He muttered back.

"AND WHAT IF YOU FAIL! THEN WHAT!" Leaf continued to yell as she began to cry "Red….that…thing…is no pokemon…..IT'S A MONSTER! A MAN MADE ABOMINATION! It'll kill you! And when it does…..it'll kill everyone else to!" She then looked down at her feet "I-is…..your closure really worth…all that?"

Upon hearing that, Red couldn't take it anymore "MY CLOSURE?! LEAF! IF I DON'T CAPTURE IT….WHO'S TO SAY IT WON'T RELEASE THE BARRIER ON IT'S OWN!" He yelled back "DO YOU WANT WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR FATHER TO HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ELSE?!"

Red immediately stopped when he realized what he just said. He looked over to see Leaf tearing up and she quickly turned away from him "Leaf….I'm sorry….but believe me…..I'm more than capable of doing this." Red whispered to her "But…...I'm going to need the mystic birds to open that barrier…."

The two stood in silence before Leaf finally spoke up "You….think you're capable…..huh?" She muttered as she turned towards him "You think…..you can take that monster on?" Leaf quickly reached into her pocket and pulled out a pokeball "Then…..prove it to me…"

Red couldn't believe what he was seeing; was she seriously going to fight him? "Put the pokeball away Leaf! I'm not fighting you!" Red demanded.

Leaf wasn't about to back down "The mystic birds are my pokemon! And if you want them to open that barrier for you SO bad…" She held her pokeball in front of her face "…..then you'll have to go through me first!" Leaf then ran to one end of the courtyard and readied herself for battle "Jigglypuff! Get over here!" She commanded.

Red shook his head in disbelief "Fine…." He sighed as he pulled out a pokeball "If this is what you want…I'll humor you…." Red replied through his teeth "Pikachu! At my side! NOW!"

The two pokemon quickly ran to their trainers side, scared at their tone.

As they stood there, a cold wind blew across the courtyard of the mansion "_This….is where this nightmare began….and this is where….. I'll finish it!_" Leaf thought to herself as she stared Red down.

"Leaf! You do realise you only have 5 pokemon!" Red yelled out to her "I'll only use 5 as well to make this ev-"

"IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MANY POKEMON YOU USE!" She cut him off "I WON'T BE BEATEN!" Leaf yelled out to him and summoned her first pokemon "MOLTRES! COME!"

Red watched as the legendary bird of fire soared overhead "_You're….really serious about this…aren't you Leaf_?" He thought.

"Fine…I really don't want to do this but…." He then grabbed a pokeball from his bag and threw it on the ground "Let's go Lapras!"

Red watched as Leaf stared down the transport pokemon as it was summoned from its pokeball. "_Come on Leaf….be smart…don't let me have the advantage here. Return Moltes and use another pokemon…._"

However, in the time Red spent thinking to himself, Leaf had already called out the first move "MOLTRES! SUNNY DAY! NOW!" He heard her yell out.

Red gritted his teeth in frustration "_Fine! Whatever! I'll just have to put her down!_" He thought as he yelled out "Lapras! Hyrdo pump!"

Lapras reared its head back and shot an intense stream of water at Moltres; only for Leaf to immediately call out "Protect!"

Before the water could hit, Moltres formed a barrier around itself, nullifying the on-coming attack.

Before Red could respond to what just happened, Leaf was already on the offense "Now use solarbeam!"

With the power of sunny day speeding up the charge time, Moltres shot the powerful grass move at lapras, fainting it instantly.

Red was at a loss for words, he wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come out and he silently returned lapras "_What the hell just happened?_" He thought as he watched Leaf glare at him "_She's…..really not fooling around today…."_

Red immediately took out his next pokemon and through it on the ground "Blastoise! Come out!"

"Again with the type advantage…" Leaf scoffed as Blastiose came out.

"I'm not falling for this old trick twice!" Red muttered to himself as he yelled out "Blastoise! Rain Dance!"

Clouds immediately appeared over the courtyard, ending Moltres sunny day.

He then intensely raised his fist in the air "Now! Hydro Cannon!"

Intense streams of water burst forth from Blastiose cannons, knocking moltres out of the sky and fainting it.

Now it was Leafs turn to be speechless, she quickly returned Moltes and as she readied her next pokemon, she heard Red call out to her "That was an impressive strategy Leaf! Make sure you pick your next pokemon wisely!"

Reds comment infuriated her; not only did he just complement her, but his complement was making her unintentionally blush "_UGHH! How can he be so calm at a time like this!_" She thought to herself.

* * *

The battle waged on for hours and even though Leaf was giving Red her all, he was slowly taking the advantage away from her.

"Pikachu! Iron tail!" Red called out as Pikachu charged forward and smashed Leafs clefable with the super effective move, taking it out in the process.

"Clefable!" Leaf yelled out as hesitation began to set in for her. She was now down to two pokemon and she had to plan her next choice carefully.

Red watched as Leaf closed her eyes "You knew this day would come Red!" She said as a smirk formed on her face "The day when your main pokemon and mine would meet in battle!"

She then looked over to her pink partner and motioned to the battlefield "Jigglypuff! On the field! NOW!"

Jigglypuff quickly jumped onto the field, but stopped when it came eye to eye with Reds pikcahu.

The two pokemon had grown quite fond of one another in the time they had spent together. But, in the back of their minds, they each had a reason they wanted to fight one another: Jigglypuff wanted to battle Pikachu to prove its strength and Pikachu wanted to battle jigglypuff as revenge for disgracing it when they first met.

"Alright pikachu! Iron tail!" Pickachu heard Red call out to it and as quick as it could, Pikachu charged forward and attacked, only for jigglypuff to swiftly move out of the way of the on-coming iron tail.

Red gritted his teeth, jigglypuff had grown so strong since he first met it "Pikachu! Give it another iron tail!"

Pikachu attempted another iron tail on its foe, but this time Leaf was ready for it "Now jigglypuff! Sing!"

Jigglypuff dodged it again and this time it lulled pikachu asleep with its soothing voice.

Even though it didn't want to fight, a smirk formed on jigglypuffs face, it had out smarted its friend.

"Pikachu! Get up! You gotta get up!" Red pleaded, but it was no use, Pikachu was fast asleep, or was it? Red noticed that pikachu was twitching its ear at him.

Leaf smirked "See Red, no matter how strong Pikachu is, it can't overcome the power of sing!" She declared and called out "Jigglypuff! Finish it with moonblast!"

Leaf watched as jigglypuff charged the attack and looked over at Red to see that he was….laughing at her "What's so funny?"

"I really have been around you too much! This is straight out of your book of tricks" Red chuckled to himself "See Leaf….pikachu's only pretending to be asleep!"

Leaf watched as pikachu opened its eyes and she reeled back in horror "WHAT!"

Without warning, pikachu sprung to its feet at dashed toward jigglypuff.

"Let's finish this Pikachu! Volt tackle!"

Pikachu engulfed itself in electricity as it charged towards jiggypuff, just as it fired off its moonblast at the mouse pokemon .

Pikachu managed to charge through the oncoming attack and score a hit on its target, but took a lot of damage in the process.

"Come on Pikachu! Get up!" Red shouted to his partner as Pikachu struggled to get to its feet.

"You can do it jigglypuff!" Leaf yelled out as well, but as they got up, both pokemon fell on top of one another, defeated.

Both trainers gasped and ran out to the field to grab their respected pokemon.

"That was a great job jigglypuff, you took it to the limit." Leaf whispered to her partner as she put it on the sidelines with the other pokemon.

"That was a crafty strategy Pikachu, you did good!" Red said as well, as he did the same.

Red and Leaf returned to their side of the field and stared at one another in silence for a few minutes.

"This is it Leaf…..our last pokemon…" Red said as he pulled out his last pokeball and threw it on the field to reveal his charizard.

Leaf took a deep breath as Reds last pokemon was summoned, charizard was Reds pokemon of choice when it came to difficult battles, she knew how strong it was.

"Red…." Leaf spoke up as calmly as she could "Please….I just don't want you to fight Mewtwo…please…..I don't want you to get hurt…"

"Leaf…." Red replied, he could hear the desperation in her voice "I have to…..like I said; I'm the only one who can…."

Leaf closed her eyes as she brought out her last pokemon and her voice shook "I….won't let….you" She stated as she threw her last pokeball "Articuno! Let's end this!"

Red could only stare at her last pokemon, he knew that even though he had the advantage, this wouldn't be easy. Ever since she had managed to catch it, Articuno was Leafs go to pokemon when it came to difficult battles, just like charizard was his.

They continued to stare at one another until Leaf finally yelled out "This is it Red! This is where it ends!" She then called out at the top of her voice "Articuno! Ice Beam!"

Red narrowed his eyes "Charizard! Air Slash!" He quickly responded and watched as charizard quickly dodged articunos ice beam and hit it with air slash.

As Red watched the two pokemon brawl in the sky, he tipped his hat over his eyes "Leaf! This isn't where it ends for me!" He yelled out with confidence "And…." He fixed his gaze upon her "This isn't where it ends for you either!"

Reds words made Leafs panic "W-what are you talking about?!" She inquired.

"Leaf, you're strong! You've always been strong and the fact that you're willing to go through all this and still stand toe to toe with me proves it! You're still one of the amazing people I know!"

At that moment Leafs heart started to beat faster, whether it was out of flattery or fear she didn't know, she could only stare at him in awe.

"But….." Red stated as he tipped his hat over his eyes "I STILL REFUSE TO LOSE THIS MATCH!" He then looked up in the sky and called out "Charizard! Blast burn now!"

Leaf recoiled in fear at Reds sudden change in tone as she desperately tried to counter "Ughh!" She hesitated "Articuno! Sky Attack! Hurry!" She yelled out in desperation.

Articuno cloaked itself in flame as charizard charged towards it. A giant explosion of flames appeared as they made contact and Red and Leaf shielded their eyes as they awaited the victor.

As the smoke cleared they saw both pokemon fall to the ground and collapse, it was over.

Leaf stared at the two fainted pokemon in complete shock "W-w-what does this mean…." She muttered.

"What it means Leaf….is that you've grown a lot stronger since I've first met you." Red answered "You're not the same girl who stole my badges back then…you've grown a lot as a person."

Leaf couldn't stop her face from going flush "FINE! Take the mystic birds! I can't stop you!" She yelled at him "But….I'm still not coming back with you….I can't….."

Red was confused "Leaf! What the hell's going on! What did I do? This can't just be about Mewtwo, you would have came and talked to me about it!"

Leaf bit her lip as she continued to look away from him "I….I heard you talking on the phone last night….."

"Last….night?"

Tears started to well up in her eyes as she explained what she heard "Y-you…you're to leave me behind once this is all over! I heard you say it!"

"Oh-no…" Red sighed.

Leaf turned around and did her best to force a smile "You know what….it's ok Red…..who would want some stupid thief living with them anyway? You deserve better" she stated.

Red couldn't take it anymore, as Leaf started walking away he yelled out "LEAF YOU IDIOT! That's what this is all about! Why didn't you come talk to me about this!"

Leaf immediately stopped and looked back at him "I..I"

Red shook his head as he started walking towards her "Well….I was going to surprise you….but if you must know. You told me you've never been outside of Kanto and I was planning on taking you to see the other regions!"

Leafs eyes widened "W-what…."

"The person I was talking to on the phone was Blue! I was asking him if he could watch over the house while we were gone" Red reassured her.

"B-but I heard you say **she's nothing!**" Leaf protested, remembering what she had heard.

Red smacked his forehead "I said she **HAS** nothing Leaf! As in, you have nothing of value to leave behind!"

Leaf looked at him in complete shock as Red continued "And I have never! NEVER! Thought of you as just as just some 'Stupid Thief!' When we first met, I felt sorry for you because I knew you were a good person on the inside. I wanted you to come with me because I wanted to show you a world where you didn't have to steal in order to live." Red looked away from her "Over time though…..my feel towards you changed and….well….I don't know about those other guys, but if all I wanted was to get what I could out of you and leave…well I would have done it the night you almost seduced me….no….it's your fun personality, the way you make light of even the worst situations…..that's why I love yo-" Red immediately bit his lip as he realized what he had just said.

"_Wow…that came out a lot easier than I thought_"

He looked over to see Leaf standing there, completely shocked "W….W-what did you…..just say to me?"

Red shook his head "You heard me….I love you….I love the way you look, I love your personality, I love how you interact with others, your battle strategies; my god Leaf, they leave me speechless!" He explained as he started slowly walking to her "Look, I got plenty of food back at the house. So….if you would care to join me for some jelly sandwiches and some slightly cajun farfetched….well I would be honoured."

Leaf didn't know how to respond to him, she just stood there, trying to process everything Red had just said to her, and when she didn't say anything, he spoke up again "Look I'll say it again, I love you! But….how do you feel about m-"

Leaf suddenly put her finger on his lips, cutting him off "Red….."

"Yes…." He mumbled.

"Just shut up and kiss me already!" Leaf quickly removed her finger, leaned forward and kissed him more passionately than she ever had before.

They kissed for what felt like an eternity. The entire time Red noticed that she was wrapping her tongue around his.

"Wow….." Red gasped as they parted lips "You must…..really like jelly sandwiches…."

Leaf giggled as she wrapped her arms around his waist "I do….I really do!"

"Oh?" Red giggled back "Will that be a meal worthy enough of the Great Shadow Thief?"

"Great shadow thief?" Leaf replied remembering her self-proclaimed title "I don't know if I can really call myself that anymore….I don't really steal from people anymore….unless they upset me….."

Red did his best Leaf impression and winked at her "Well Great shadow thief I'll have you know you stole something very precious to me!"

"Oh really? What's that?"

"I'm not telling! You can figure it out yourself!" Red stated as slowly pointed to his heart.

Leaf couldn't help but blush and roll her eyes "Well! Aren't you the corny one today?!"

"Yep! You know it!" Red gleefully stated as he took off her hat, pulled her towards him and kissed her again.

"Leaf….." Red started as he stared into her eyes and brushed her hair from her forehead "Look….I know this won't be easy for you….but ….I really want us to finish this journey….together…."

"…together…."

"Yeah….what do you think?"

Leaf's expression quickly turned to mischievous as she sarcastically rubbed her chin "Hmm….." She winked at him "I guess I could take a bash at it!"

Red in turn, looked at her confused "Take a bash? What kind of talk is that?"

Leaf put her finger to his lips again "Something….you'll never understand" She teased as she leaned towards him again "Of….course I want to be with you…..I always want to be with you…."

"L-leaf…." Red replied, his face now completely flushed as she leaned towards him and kissed him again.

As they kissed, Red looked over to see all the pokemon staring at them with a smile on their faces.

Leaf put her hands on her hips "Hey what are you all looking at?" she inquired and they all guiltily looked at one another.

"YEAH!" Red added and stretched out his arms "You're all part of this too!"

That being said, all the pokemon dashed towards their trainers. Jigglypuff jumped into Reds arms, happy to finally have a place to live after such a long time, only to have clefable run up to him and tackle him to the ground "Hey! Hey! Come on guys! One at a time!" He laughed as he petted articunos feathers "I'm happy to be with you too!"

Likewise, Pikachu jumped into Leafs arms and each of Reds pokemon took turns nuzzling her "H-hey! Venasaur! Your vines tickle!" Leaf laughed as she hugged all the pokemon as well.

As they continued to laugh and play, Leaf couldn't help but think to herself "_Mom….Dad….despite all that's happened….despite all that I've done….I think I can still find happiness…_" Leaf's expression turned serious as she thought more "_But….before that happens….there's still one more thing that must be accomplished…and when I meet it…I will….avenge…you!"_

"LEAF!" She heard Red call out to her, bringing her back to reality "Come on! Let's go home!" He said as he gently took her hand and led her over to charizard.

As they walked Leaf cheekily asked Red "So….does this mean I get to call you by your real name n-" Before Leaf could finish Red immediately turned around pointed at her "Don't push your luck Ms. Green!" He firmly stated as he helped her up.

Leaf took one last look at her former residence "_It's time to say goodbye to the past….."_ She thought as they rose into the air.

"So what does a Cajun farfetched taste like?" Leaf asked as they flew through the sky.

"I don't know….never ate one before." Red replied.

"Then how do you know it's Cajun?"

Red scratched his head "I don't! That's what Blue told me!"

Leaf rolled her eyes "Oh Great! It could be poisonous for all I know!" She sarcastically replied "Are you trying to kill me with food Red?"

"I AM NOT GOING TO KILL YOU WITH FOOD!" Red yelled at her "You got a better idea then my home cooked gourmet meal! I'd sure like to hear it!"

"Hmm…." Leaf pondered as she rubbed her chin "I know! We should go to another fancy restaurant and do another dine and dash!"

"That's very funny Leaf! That's very funny!" Red retorted as they took a sharp turn "And don't fly too fast! I'm not fixing anymore tickets for you!"

The two continued to laugh and tease one another the whole way home. Whatever was going to happen next, they didn't care, all they knew was that they were truly together now, finally.


	19. Chapter 19: Taming The Ultimate Lifeform

**Hello Ladies and Gentleman! You've probably been wondering why this chapter has taken so long and I'm pretty sure as soon as you read it...you'll find out why. Long story short, this chapter is long...I mean REALLY long...I mean, you'd better grab yourself a drink and make yourself comfortable because you're in this for the long haul. I just want to thank you for being so patient with me, it mean alot to me. That being said, I hope you enjoy chapter 19 :)**

* * *

Chapter 19: Taming The Ultimate Lifeform

**Many Years Ago….**

It was a cold and stormy night as a man in a white lab coat ran through the dank caverns of cerulean cave.

*Huff Huff*

"I can't believe how powerful it is!" He panted as he tired to run faster "It managed to defeat all my pokemon effortlessly!"

The man quickly looked behind him, looking for his unseen attacker.

"I….think I lost it!"

With the exit to the cave in sight, the man picked up the pace to try to escape, but as he did, the man realized that he was no longer running and looked down to see that he was hovering almost an inch off the ground.

"Oh my god!"

His eyes widened as a tall, sleek, white pokemon rose from underneath the ground with its hand outstretched "It's you!" The man yelled out as he tried to get away, but couldn't.

The pokemon said nothing as it proceeded to drag the man towards it.

As it did, the man pleaded "Mewtwo! Please! No! I….I regret the conflict the lab has with you! You're the superior one! Please let me go!"

Mewtwo stopped the man inches from its face and stared at him with its icy cold eyes "**Do you…fear me?**" It telepathically asked and the man's eyes darted from side to side.

"Yes! Yes I do!" He pleaded "Now please let me go!"

A cold smirk formed on the pokemons lips as I proceeded to laugh "**Heh! Heh! Is that so? Well listen and listen good human! You go back to your laboratory and you tell those fools who created me that they can send whatever they've got at me…in the end…I won't be defeated and when their time comes…there will be no rock for them to hide under!**"

With that said, Mewtwo effortlessly threw the scientist outside the cave making a vow in the process "**Pathetic weaklings…humans…soon…they will face my judgement!**"

* * *

The sun was setting over Pallet town and Reds house was abnormally quiet as Leaf lay in her bed, unable to sleep. She rolled to her side and stared longingly at her sleeping pink partner for a bit before getting up, crawling out her window and climbing up to the roof.

It was a day she had dreaded for weeks, but tomorrow the day was finally upon her, the day she and Red would face Mewtwo, the pokemon that was the source of all her trauma as a child.

Earlier that day, Red had left the house to meet with the league officials and discuss the best course of action for tomorrows endeavours. In the meantime, Leaf was doing everything she could to mentally prepare herself for tomorrow; she had even stopped wearing her usual green tanktop and skirt in favor of her old black dress she used to wear as it reminded Leaf of her past. Despite all this, in her heart Leaf knew she would never be ready to face mewtwo.

As she walked outside and onto the roof, Leaf gently sat down and wrapped her arms around her legs as she watched the sun set over the horizon. As she did, memories began to flood back into her head.

She vividly remembered the last words she shared with her father, her mother's hanging, her first days on the streets. As the memories of her life continued to play through her head, there was one that stuck there longer than the others.

_"Wh….what are you saying?" _

_"You heard me! You're no longer any use to me! Get out of my house you whore!" _

_"B…but….I…thought you….loved me?" _

_"Is that what you thought? I got what I wanted out of you, you're useless!" _

_"Who could ever love you!"_

Leaf hugged herself tighter as tears started streaming from her eyes. Occasions like that happened so often through her life and even though she and Red were truly together now, it was moments like that which still made her nervous about being with someone.

"_No! No! You need to stop thinking about that Leaf!_" She violently shook her head, trying to get the image out. "_Why am I thinking about this? I really need to get my mind off of tomorrow!"_

Leaf closed her eyes and began to think of all the happy memories she experienced since she had met Red. As she continued to stare into the sky, her mind started to wander back to a few days ago causing a smile to slowly form on her face.

"Red….."

**A Few Days Ago**

"Come on Leaf! You're too slow!" Red laughed as he stopped running ahead of her.

Leaf panted as she finally caught up to him "I won't….let you….beat me!" She shot back.

Red shook his head as he watched Leaf catch her breath "Does everything have to be a competition with you? Seriously Leaf, I already have one person who does that with me, I don't need another!"

Leaf smirked at him "True….but I have my own ways of beating you!" She then proceeded to kiss him on the cheek and ran in front of him.

Reds face went as flush as it could go "Hey! That's not fair!" He yelled at her as she ran ahead of him.

* * *

As she thought about that memory her smile grew bigger "Hehehe…." She giggled as she remembered more of that day.

**Flashback Cont…..**

The sun was setting and Red was now carrying a tired Leaf on his shoulders.

"Onward! Onward Red! We need to reach home before nightfall!" Leaf commanded to him.

"Yeah…yeah…" Red sighed as he looked up at her "Explain to me again how I wound up carrying you?"

Leaf raised her finger in the air "Because I'm tired and a gentleman should always carry a lady!"

Red chuckled to himself "Oh really? I just figured…after all those thefts you'd be more….physically fit then I am!"

Upon hearing that, Leaf put her hands on her hips "Hmph! Well you did travel across…how many regions was it again Red?"

Red slowly looked up at her "6…."

"6 regions!" She immediately chimed in and raised her finger in the air "Thus, you have more walking endurance than I have!"

Red shook his head as he cheekily replied "Sure…sure…I just don't think you can handle our competition!"

"Say that again!" Leaf stated as she glared down at him.

"I'm joking!" Red laughed as the house came into view "Hey I have a surprise for you when we get home!"

"Really? What is it?" Leaf excitedly asked.

"I'm not telling!"

As they reached the house, Leaf saw a giant sack laid on the ground.

"Is that the surprise?" Leaf asked as Red put her down and she started untying the sack "I don't know what you could have got me that I could possibly wan-"

Leafs eyes glistened as she opened the sack to reveal a mountain of candy.

"Woah! No way!" Leaf gasped and turned to a smiling Red "How did you kno-"

"You mumble in your sleep!" Red quickly responded.

Leafs mouth began to water as she looked at her present "W-well….when I lived on the streets I….I…would always see candy on display in stores….but never had any money to buy any….and…I-" She immediately stopped as she felt Reds hand on her shoulder.

"I just wanted to give something special to someone who's speci- MMPHH!" Red was cut off as Leaf kissed him hard on the lips and dove into the mountain of candy.

Red watched in amazement as she quickly stuffed her face "Hey! Don't eat it too fast! You'll get a stomach ache!" Red noted as he ran over to her.

"If I do it's your fault!" Leaf winked back.

"MY FAU-" Red stopped as he thought more about the situation "Now that you mention it….it would be my fault, wouldn't it?" He chuckled as he sat down beside her.

"Yep! This ones on you today!" Leaf cheered as she passed Red a candy "So make the most of it!"

**End Flashback**

The more Leaf thought about it, the more she blushed and giggled to herself "_I can't believe how lucky I am….I really don't deser-_"

Her thoughts were cut off as she felt something get draped around her shoulders.

"What!" She gasped and turned around to see Red putting his jacket around her.

"You know….you look really cold in that outfit." He cheekily remarked "I don't know how you kept warm on the streets with only that on."

"R-red!" Leaf replied, completely flustered "How did you know where I was!"

Red chuckled as he extended his hand "Well…I figured you'd be asleep, so I….just wanted to….you kno-"

"Oh?" She winked at him as she cut him off "You wanted to check me out while I was sleeping huh?"

In turn, Red blushed and pointed at her "Hey! Don't try and turn this around on me! Why are you on the roof?"

Leaf shrugged "Maybe I just want to look down on everyone!" She sarcastically replied.

"Uh-huh…sure Leaf!" Red sighed as he sat down beside her "Are you thinking about tomorrow?"

Red watched as she slowly nodded and then leaned up against him.

"How did everything go at the league meeting today?" Leaf asked as she nuzzled her head against his.

"Hmm…." Red sighed as he tilted his head back "They didn't make it easy for me…."

**Earlier that Day**

"No way!" Red protested as he held a white and purple ball towards a group of people "You can't be serious about this!"

That morning Red was summoned to meet with the league representatives, which included all 8 gym leaders and the champion. Also attending were representatives from the pokemon research laboratories and they were all discussing potential threat of a certain psychic pokemon that Red was about to face and how to deal with it. As such, the lab representatives offered Red a master ball to capture Mewtwo and wanted him to return it to their care, but Red was completely against the idea. He knew full well that the scientists only wanted mewtwo back just so they could perform more experiments on it. Professor Oak also came to give Red support, but even he couldn't do much against the relentless assault of the labs representatives.

"It's an order" A smartly dressed man flanked by a team of scientists replied "Why are you hesitating? You, who's been so….adamant about achieving your goal. All we're trying to do is make this….endeavour of yours easier."

"I understand! But to take away a pokemons right to defend itself against a capture!" He looked around at the 8 gym leaders "It's just not right!"

The man just shook his head at Red "If you do not comply, then you put everyone at risk and you as well everyone else will face….the consequences of releasing that pokemon. "

"But…." Red stopped as Professor oak put a hand on his shoulder and spoke up "I think the champion should be the one who decides if this master ball should be used or not." He suggested as he looked up at Lance.

Upon hearing that, everyone in the room turned to Lance, awaiting his response.

His eyes closed, Lance took a deep breath before stating his opinion "While I do agree that we should use any means necessary to protect the populous, I cannot deny Reds statement of a pokemons rights."

He then proceeded to stand up "It is my decision that I will allow Red to capture Mewtwo using any means he feels necessary. As a former champion, I trust his judgement."

Red couldn't help but form a smile on his face, but as he did, Lance sternly looked down at him.

"However Red, should things take a turn for the worst, you will use that master ball and stop that pokemon before it has a chance to escape! Are we clear?"

Red nodded in agreement "I understand!"

Lance nodded as well "Very well! This league meeting is adjured!"

As everyone left the meeting room, Professor Oak turned to Red "Are you sure you're up for this task Red?" He asked as they left the meeting room. "It's going to be dangerous!"

"I've trained across 6 different regions for this day….and I won't be alone." Red reassured him.

Oak patted his shoulder "Just remember; your mother is always watching out for you. I know you can do it!"

"Thanks…." Red sighed as he heard a voice call out to him.

He looked over to see Blaine approaching them "Red! I have a request for you!" He asked.

"Sure Blaine what is it?"

Blaine looked around to make sure no one was looking and reached into his pocket "I know the league wants you to use that master ball to catch Mewtwo…..but…..if possible, I would like you to catch it in this."

He then presented Red with a black and orange pokeball and Red knew full well what it was "This is….one of your luxury balls…."

Blaine nodded as he sadly looked down at the ball "It was my laboratory's fault why Mewtwo turned out the way it did and….even though I can't turn back the clock to change things….perhaps you could give it a second chance in life."

"Are you serious Blaine?!" Red protested "I was told to hand mewtwo over to the lab once a capture it! The league will never accept me as its trainer."

"Red, you and I both know that if you hand mewtwo back over, history will just repeat itself." Blaine sighed as he placed the luxury ball in Reds hand "I don't believe that mewtwo is a lost cause! It just needs someone who can truly care for it and if there's one person I can trust to do that, it's you!"

"I agree with Blaine." Professor Oak added "If there is one person who can help mewtwo redeem itself, it's you Red! And that luxury ball will help make easier for it to return to society."

Even though he was hesitant to do so, Red took the ball for himself "Very well, I'll do what I can!"

**End Flashback**

"And….that's where we lie right now." Red stated as he took out the luxury ball and rolled it in his hand.

Leaf stared at the black and orange ball and then looked up at Red "So, you really plan to catch Mewtwo in that luxury ball huh?"

Red held the ball up to his eyes and stared at it "Yes…..that's what I want."

"And….just what do you plan to do with it, once you capture it?" Leaf asked as she crossed her arms.

Red could hear the discord in her voice, he knew full well what Mewtwo did to her father and he hesitated to reply "I…don't know? I hadn't thought that far ahead. What do you think Leaf?"

"I will follow whatever plan you wish to do Red." Leaf stated as she turned her head away "But…I'll have you know, if things take a turn for the worst...it's not in my nature to hold back!"

"Leaf….." Red whispered.

Leaf looked away from him and hugged her legs tightly "You know….I've hated Mewtwo so much for what it did to my dad, but tomorrow will be the first day that I'll actually see what it looks like." She buried her head in her hands "I….never thought I could hate something that I've never even seen before…."

Red looked at her with pity as he slowly wrapped his arms around her "Come on Leaf, you need to be strong when you face it tomorrow."

"Yeah…." Leaf whispered as she turned back to him and rested her head against his "Honestly Red…..I'm…I'm scared….." She shivered "I mean…..this pokemon….killed my dad and I just don't know what to expect."

Red sighed as he held her tighter, her whole body was now shaking "Hey…..you wanna know something really pathetic?" He asked as she looked up at him "…..so am I…."

The two sat there in each others arms until Red finally pulled away.

"Hey! Maybe Mewtwo's scared too?" He remarked trying to make light of the situation.

Leaf looked away and muttered under her breath "It had better be…"

She then looked back to see Red reach into his pocket, pull out a flask of liquid and hand it to her "Here Leaf, this is for you."

Confused, Leaf opened the flask and saw that it was filled with a strange purple solution "What is this?" She inquired.

"A concoction I brewed made of payapa berries. They nullify psychic attacks, but are very rare to find and this is all I could make." Red noted "Mewtwos psychic powers are said to be the strongest of all and if something happens to me tomorrow, that solution should make you immune to its powers long enough to escape!"

Leaf stuttered to find her words, she was in complete shock "Red! I can't take this!" She pleaded and shoved the flask back in his hands. "We're doing this together….till the end!"

Sadness filled Reds eyes "Take it….." He said as he gently put the flask back in her hands and closed them around it "If things take a turn for the worst…..the last thing I want is for something to happen to you and I want you to know that if I don't make it, this house is yours, you won't have to live on the streets again or go back to your old ways, I promise!"

Leaf couldn't believe it, Red really cared about her that much. "Red….it's not going to come to that tomorrow!" She sternly replied.

Red took a deep breath "Alright…." He sighed "Well….just…hold on to it…you know…just in case….."

"Okay…." Leaf whispered as she looked at the concoction "You know…..there's something I want to give you too….."

Red gave her a confused look "What's that Leaf?"

"Just….this"

She leaned forward and kissed him long and hard.

Red blushed and pulled her in close before they parted lips.

"You…know" Leaf started with a blush on her face "Since this may be our last night together…maybe we should do something…..fun" She winked at him.

Reds eyes widened as far as they could go "Uhh….." he stuttered as he watched her get up and start to walk inside "W-wait! Wait! Hold on Leaf!" Red nervously stuttered as he got up as well.

"What is it Red?"

Red was looking around frantically "I…I…I'm not prepared for this!"

Leaf raised her eyebrows "Of course you're not!' She stated as she reached into her pocket and shoved a deck of cards in his face "Judging by your luck in the past games we've had, you never are!"

"O-oh!" Red chuckled as he wiped the sweat from his forehead "T-that's what you meant!"

Leaf looked at him confused "What did you think I mea-OHHHHH!" She seductively smirked at him and whispered in his ear "Were you expecting something a little more…..fun than that?"

Red was blushing more than he'd ever had in his life "N-NO! OF COURSE NOT! I WOULD NEV-"

He was cut off by Leaf putting her finger on his lips "It's okay, we all need a little sweetness in our life Red."

Red was completely flustered. Leaf was smirking at him just inches from his face and he had to turn away.

"J-just shut up and deal the cards already!"

* * *

The two played for a few hours and as usual, Red wasn't having the best of luck.

"I don't believe this!" Red yelled as he grasped his head "How could I lose 30 games in a row?!"

"Maybe you just need to get good Red!" Leaf sarcastically replied.

"Say that again!"

Leaf giggled to herself "Come on! One more game!"

"Alright…."

Leaf dealt each of them 2 cards and flipped hers over.

"19! I'll…hold" She stated as she looked at her hand.

Red quickly looked up at her "Did you say 19?!"

Leafs eyes shifted from side to side "Yes…." She slowly replied.

Red quickly flipped both his cards "20!" He yelled with joy.

Leaf couldn't believe it "No way…" She whispered.

It took a few seconds to sink in, but when it did Red had the biggest smile on his face "I…..I….WON!" He shouted in triumph and started dancing around "Oh my god! I did it finally! Whooo!"

Leaf looked at him and dully shook her head "Yeah….you sure did Red….."

As she watched him dance around, Leaf muttered under her breath "He has no idea I let him win….." She then looked up to see him pointing at her.

"Oh baby, you just got SERVED!" He stated with glee as he lied down on the roof still laughing.

"I sure did Red….I….sure did…." Leaf sarcastically muttered as she lied down beside him.

"Oh Leaf! That was so much fun" Red exclaimed as he looked over at her.

"Yeah…..almost makes you forget what's going to happen tomorrow…." Leaf sighed as she smiled at him.

Red took a deep breath "Well…we should probably get some rest for tomorrow." He suggested "Come on Le-"

Just as he was about to get up, Red felt Leaf tug his hand back down.

"Wait!" She pleaded "Will….you stay with me….just for a little longer?"

Red looked down and could see the sadness in her eyes, she really was scared "Okay….." He whispered as he sat back down.

"Leaf…." Red whispered as he extended his hand towards her "We'll make it through….as long as we're together…."

"Red…." Leaf whispered back as she gently placed her hand on top of his "together….."

Over the course of the next few minutes the two just laid there, hand in hand, staring at the night sky before finally deciding to go to bed.

**The Next Day**

Red and Leaf woke up extra early, in both their minds, they knew that one way or another it was going to end today and they both wanted to just get it over with.

A short flight later, they found themselves on the outskirts of Cerulean city staring at the cave that Mewtwo had sealed itself in.

"Alright guys, this is it!" Red started as he looked at each pokemon "Today….we take on the ultimate lifeform!"

All the pokemon nodded in approval. They knew full well what they were going up against.

"I want you all to know; it could get violent, and there is even the slightest chance that some of you might not make it back." Red stated as he looked at each one of them "So….if anyone doesn't want to do this I won't force them."

As soon as he said that, Red felt something brush against his leg, it was Pikachu who smiled at him. He then looked over to see that jigglypuff had joined it as well and before he knew it, all their pokemon were at his side; they were ready to fight with everything they had.

"I think they've made their choice." Leaf remarked as she looked towards the cave "Let's bring down this barrier Red!"

Red nodded and turned to the mystic birds "Right! Articuno, zapdos, moltres! I need you to combine your icebeam, thunderbolt and flamethrower at this barrier!"

Leaf watched as the three legendary birds used their respectful attacks causing the barrier to fade away.

"_This is it….I'm finally going to confront it!_" Leaf thought to herself as she felt Reds hand in her own.

"Come Leaf! Let's do this!"

The two took a deep breath and stepped inside.

* * *

The cave itself was very dark and dank and the only light present, was the light coming from the entrance. More than that, as soon as Red and Leaf entered the cave, they immediately felt like they were being watched.

"Where is it Red?" Leaf asked as she looked around.

Red was looking around as well "I don't kn-"

"**Who enters my domain?**" A voice suddenly demanded, causing Leaf to jump.

"W-who's there?" She asked as she frantically looked around.

"It's Mewtwo…." Red whispered as his eyes scanned the area "It's telepathically speaking to us in our minds."

Leafs eyes widened "I-it can do that?!"

Red nodded "It's rumoured that Mewtwo is one of the smartest pokemon in the world." He stated as the voice rang through their heads again.

"**So…those fools at that laboratory finally found someone strong enough to challenge me!**"

Red raised his eyebrows, confused as to what it just said "Mewtwo! We're not part of any laboratory! We just want to talk to you!"

As soon as Red said, that everything went silent.

"**Talk?**" Red heard it scoff in his head "**Talk is for the weak!**"

Suddenly Red and Leaf felt the ground start rumbling beneath them and they watched as the ground in front of them gave way and a slender white pokemon surrounded by a barrier floated up in front of them.

Leafs eyes widened as she locked eyes with the pokemon who had killed her father years ago "_We meet at last monster….._" She thought as she stared intensely at it.

"**I must admit…**" Mewtwo began "**When I put that barrier up, I had hoped the person who broke it would be a powerful trainer…this was not what I expected.**"

Mewtwo looked at Red and outstretched its hand towards him "**One human that masks fear through bravery…a foolish effort!**" It scoffed.

"**And another…who…**" Mewtwo stopped as it turned to Leaf "**Strange…I sense…many emotions going through your head right now! Your emotions will be your downfall!**"

"**As for the rest of you…**" It said as it turned its attention to the pokemon "**I wonder who is more foolish: The humans that think they can imprison me, or the fools who blindly follow them!**"

All the pokemon glared at Mewtwo ready to strike, but Red held them back.

"Hold on!" He said as he stretched out his arm "Mewtwo! We don't wish to fight you! All we want is for you to come with us!"

"**And why would I do that?**"

Red was completely grasping at straws with his words, he just really wanted to avoid a battle "Well, everyone believes that you could be potentially dangerous to them." He explained "But if you come with us, it'll prove to everyone that you're not a threat!"

Reds eyes widened as he heard mewtwo laugh in his head "**They're right to fear me! All you humans are worthless!**"

"So much for that approach…." Red muttered to himself.

To Reds surprise, Pikachu suddenly jumped in front of him "Pika! Pika!" It shouted at Mewtwo.

"**What's that?**" Mewtwo asked the small electrical pokemon "**You say you share a special bond with these humans?**"

Pikachu nodded as it looked back to its comrades "Pika! Pika!" It shouted to them and they all nodded.

"**Very well little one…show me this bond you're so proud of!**"

Without warning and without Reds command, Pikachu dashed forward into a volt tackle and charged at mewtwo.

"Pikachu! What are you doing?" Red and Leaf cried in unison.

But before it could make contact, Mewtwo caught it with its psychic powers and laughed as it struggled to get free "**You dare to face me!**"

Red watched in horror as the tiny pokemon was thrown against the wall of the cave and collapsed to the ground.

"Pikachu!" He screamed as he ran over to his partner and picked it up in his arms "Are you okay?"

Leaf had seen enough, she was ready to take this monster down "Get it!" She ordered to the other pokemon.

They all charged head on toward Mewtwo and unleashed a barrage of attacks on the psychic pokemon.

The resulting impact created a huge cloud of smoke and Leaf had to shield her eyes as it impeded her vision.

However, as the smoke cleared, they all saw that Mewtwo had formed a barrier around itself and all of their attacks were negated.

As it lowered its barrier, it smirked at all the pokemons shocked expressions before grabbing clefable and snorlax in its psychic grasp.

"**I will not be undermined by pokemon who take orders from humans!**" It announced as it threw the two pokemon into one another.

"Try to surround it! Mewtwo can't stop all your attacks at once!" Red shouted as he ran back over with Pikachu in his hands. "Venasaur! Use Leaf Storm Now!" Venasaur did as commanded, but mewtwo raised its hand and stopped the attack before it could reach.

While mewtwo blocked venasaurs attack, it failed to notice blastoise approaching it from the left "Now! Blastoise! Hydropump!" Red commanded as blastoise shot water from its cannons. Mewtwo glanced over and with its other hand, stopped that attack as well.

With its guard down, Red smirked as charizard flew over top his head towards mewtwo "Do it charizard! Flamethrower!" Red yelled out as he raised his fist in the air.

Upon hearing that command, charizard flew in from the right managed to hit mewtwos right arm with its flamethrower.

Leaf stared at Red in awe; he had actually managed to damage the ultimate lifeform.

Mewtwo glared at Red and Leaf as it held its arm where charizard had hit it, then suddenly teleported away

"Come on Red! We've got it on the run!" Leaf exclaimed as she and the other pokemon ran ahead.

As Red ran after them, he came to realization "_It's luring us further in to try to use the darkness of the cave to its advantage!_"

No sooner did he think that and Red saw Mewtwos glowing red eyes in front of them.

"Everyone! Get down now!" He shouted as he tackled Leaf to the ground.

Shocked, Leaf looked over at him "Red! What are yo-" She stopped mid-sentence as a barrage of shadow balls rained down on them.

"Is everyone okay?" Red asked the pokemon as they all stood up. Even though they had only been battling for a short time, they had already taken a beating.

"**If this is the extent of that special bond you're all proud of…I'm not impressed!**" Mewtwo mocked as it floated above them "**Are you prepared to beg for mercy?**"

"We're not about to give up!" Leaf yelled back and turned to the pokemon "Right everyone!" They all nodded in agreement and charged forward.

* * *

As the battle waged on, things turned from bad to worse, no matter what kind of strategies Red and Leaf used against mewtwo, it always found a way to counter them. By using its environment to its advantage, mewtwo gradually took out each of Red and Leafs pokemon with ease. With only pikachu and jigglypuff left and supplies running out, Red and Leaf were running out of options.

"**I must admit.**" Mewtwo spoke in their minds "**You have to be the most persistent humans I've ever faced!**"

Leaf had her head between her legs and was panting furiously "I don't believe it Red….most of our pokemon have been defeated and…..it's barely affected!"

"Just calm down Leaf!" Red stated as he panted as well "You need to stay strong!"

Leaf looked back at all their fainted pokemon, but was surprised when articuno looked up at her "_Arcticuno…._" Leaf thought as she looked her pokemon "_Wait….that's it!_"

Leaf then grabbed her last potion and turned to Red, this was the last chance they had.

"Red, I have an idea!" Leaf whispered in his ear.

Red looked at her completely confused, though at this point, any idea was worth trying "What are you going to do?"

"I just need you three to distract Mewtwo for me" She replied as she ran away.

"**Where do you think you're going human?**" Mewtwo demanded as it raised its hand towards her.

"Hey! Your fight's with me!" Red yelled to it as he looked down at his two pokemon "Pikachu! Jigglypuff! Are you ready?!"

The two pokemon glanced back and nodded as they prepared themselves for battle.

"Alright! Pikachu! Volt tackle! Jigglypuff! Rollout! Let's do this!" He ordered.

"**Very well…have it your way…**" Mewtwo scoffed as it formed a shadow ball in each of its hands and fired them at the charging pokemon.

Despite their best efforts, neither Pikachu nor jigglypuff could avoid the on-coming shadow balls and the resulting impact knocked them both out.

Red gritted his teeth as he watched his last two pokemon get knocked out "_Leaf…..I sure hope you have a plan!_"

No sooner did he think that, as a giant shadow passed Red overhead, it was Leaf riding articuno.

Preoccupied from dealing with Pikachu and jigglypuff, Mewtwo wasn't prepared to deal with the revived legendary bird of ice and Leaf knew this was the only chance she had.

Knowing time was short, she quickly yelled out "Articuno! Ice beam! Hurry!"

Articunos ice beam struck it mark and in a stroke of luck, managed to encapsulate mewtwo in ice, freezing it solid.

"Red! Use the master ball! Now!" Leaf screamed at him and Red quickly grabbed the master ball out of his pocket.

As he did, Red hesitated for a second as he remembered his promise to Blaine "_Sorry Blaine….it's just too powerful._" He thought to himself as he threw the ball at mewtwo "_I have to capture it no matter what!_"

As the ball flew towards mewtwo, Red noticed something. From within the ice, mewtwos eyes began to glow red. Suddenly, the ground shook violently as the ice proceeded to shatter around it.

"I…impossible….." Red gasped at the sight before his eyes: There was mewtwo, free from the ice, hand outstretched, using its psychic powers to hold the master ball at bay.

Struck with fear, Leaf grabbed onto Reds sleeve as she whimpered "R..red…the…..ball…it's…"

"**How long as it been since I've seen one of these?**" Mewtwo scoffed as it observed the ball "**A method of containing me…a personal prison…**" Mewtwo then tightly clenched its fist down on it, destroying the master ball in the process "**Worthless!**"

Red and Leaf watched in horror as Mewtwo looked up at them, but before it could do anything, their vision was impeded as articuno landed in front of them.

"Articuno! What are you doing?!" Leaf cried out as the legendary bird of ice stretched out its wings to shield them.

Out of desperation, Articuno shot another ice beam at Mewtwo, only to be caught in mewtwos psychic grasp.

"**I'm disappointed articuno, a legendary pokemon whose power far exceeds the humans behind you and you use it to protect them?!**"

Mewtwo cackled as it lifted articuno off the ground **"Such bravery…**" It then reared its hand back and psychically threw articuno against the wall "**Misplaced!**"

"No!" Leaf screamed as her pokemon collapsed to the ground.

With all of their pokemon beaten and the master ball destroyed, Red and Leaf had nothing standing between them and the powerful psychic pokemon.

With no options left, Red took Leaf by the arm "Get behind me…hurry!" He whispered as he guided her behind him.

"Red….what are you going to do?"

Red sighed "Leaf….I want you to take our pokemon and get out of here….I'll distract it long enough for you to get away."

"WHAT! Red! We're not doing this again!" She yelled as she grabbed his shoulder "I'm not leaving you!"

Red immediately wrestled away from her "Leaf! For once, just listen to me! You've almost died twice before and I'll die before I let it happen again!" He yelled as he took off his bag and handed it to her "All of our pokemon are in that bag! Grab pikachu and jigglypuff and get our pokemon out of here!"

"Red….I"

Red worryingly looked over at Mewtwo "Don't worry….today's not my day to meet my maker!"

Scared at his tone, Leaf quickly returned articuno, picked up Pikachu and jigglypuff in her arms and Red bit his lip as he looked at her frighten expression "Promise me you'll take care of them!"

"I…I…will" Leaf stuttered trying to speak out.

"NOW GO! RUN!" Red yelled as he pushed her away.

Leaf hesitantly looked back for a second before she finally ran towards the exit.

Red sighed as he watched her leave "_Thank you for finally listening to me…take care…Leaf._" He thought as he turned back to his adversary.

"**Such beautiful resolve.**" Mewtwo scoffed at Red "**To through away your life…for a friend.**"

"Sorry…today's not my day to die!" Red stated with confidence, but he could hear Mewtwo laughing in his head

"**You really think I'm going to let you live to see tomorrow?!**"

With no options left, Red decided to resort to the last thing he could think of; try to negotiate.

Red looked up at mewtwo and shrugged "Maybe…maybe not….But I don't believe that you want to kill me!"

Suddenly, mewtwos laughing stopped and Red heard it ask "**What are you talking about?**"

Red couldn't believe it; mewtwo was actually taking what he said into consideration.

With nothing else left to do, Red pressed the situation "Mewtwo! There were so many times that Leaf and I where open to your attacks and you never once attacked us! I believe that deep down inside you still have some care for humans!"

"**Be quiet!**" It yelled back "**And wipe that smile off your face human!**"

Red wasn't about to let up and instead extended his hand to it "How about it Mewtwo? Even after all this time, after all this pain, I'm still willing to give you a second chance. Come, join us!"

Red watched as Mewtwo narrowed its eyes at him"**You…weak…fool!**"

* * *

With Pikachu and jigglypuff in hand, Leaf managed to make her way out of the Cerulean cave.

"Are you two okay?" Leaf asked out of concern as she placed the two pokemon against the side of the cave.

Jigglypuff looked at her and slowly nodded, but it was completely worn out and pikachu was constantly looking back at the cave, hoping Red would come back out.

"_I can't leave Red to deal with that monster alone! But….what can I do? Everyone's been defeated._" She thought as she felt something tug at her leg, it was Pikachu.

"What is it pikachu?" Leaf asked as she bent down to its level.

"Pika! Pika!" It said as it slowly pointed at Reds bag.

"Reds bag? Is there something in there?"

Pikachu nodded and Leaf quickly opened up the bag. A few of sifting through and Leaf discovered a few yellow crystals inside "R-red still has a few revives left!" Leaf whispered as her mind started racing.

"But…even if I do revive my pokemon, I stand no chance against it! There's got to be something I can do….."

As soon as she said that, Leaf felt her fingers brush against something in her pocket, it was Reds payapa juice.

Leaf took out the flask and stared at it for a few seconds before tightly enclosing her fist around it "Hang on Red! I swear! That monster's going to pay!"

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Cerulean cave, Red was still trying to negotiate with mewtwo, but instead of helping, his words were making the psychic pokemon more and more angry.

"Mewtwo! Not all humans are bad!" He continued to preach "Most of us really do care! I can give you a second chaARGHH!" Red stopped as he was suddenly lifted in the air.

Mewtwos hand was shaking as it continued to glare at him "**You dare to think you understand my pain!**"

"Ughh…..Mewtwo….I know at some point you've felt it!" Red struggled to speak "A…feeling of trust for humans!"

"**You think I possess such pathetic emotions?**" Mewtwo yelled in his mind "**Now shut up! Before…before…**"

"_I don't believe it! _ _It really doesn't want to kill me!_" Red thought as he continued to struggle against mewtwos psychic grasp "_Blaine was right! It can be reasoned with!"_

Before Red could attempt to talk to it more, he heard someone shout "RELEASE HIM!" at the top of their lungs.

It didn't take him long to realize whose voice that was "_Oh...no….please don't tell me…._" Red thought as he slowly turned his head and sure enough, there she was.

"Leaf! I told you to run!" Red cried out to her, but she just stood there her head tilted down.

She stood silently for a few seconds before finally replying back "You did…..and then I remembered something…"

"What's that?"

She then looked up and proudly proclaimed "I am the Great Shadow Thief Leaf Green! And I don't take orders from you!"

Mewtwo shook its head as it watched her walk towards it "**If you wish to die first, then I'm happy to oblige!**" It exclaimed as it dropped Red and turned its attention to her.

It then raised its hands towards Leaf to grab her, but to its surprise, nothing happened.

Shocked, mewtwo immediately looked down at its hands confused "**Why aren't my psychic powers working?**" It wondered as Leaf continued to walk towards it.

It became even more surprised as all three mystic birds suddenly appeared behind her as well.

"**Y-you three? I thought I defeated you?**"

Leaf narrowed her eyes as she stared down her confused adversary and Red watched as she pointed toward the psychic pokemon and muttered two words from her mouth "….get em!"

The three legendary birds charged towards Mewtwo and despite its best efforts to avoid all their attacks, it was eventually hit by one of zapdos thunderbolts and fell to the ground.

"**This is impossible! My psychic powers beat you three before! Why isn't it working now!**" Mewtwo demanded as it slowly got up. However, as soon as it got to its feet, it felt its legs give out and it fell back to the ground, the attack had paralyzed it.

Leaf sternly watched the events unfold. It was clear to her, the pokemon that had taken her life from her was now at her mercy and she was going to make it feel her pain.

"Let me ask you something." Leaf said as she slowly walked towards the fallen pokemon "Do you know what it feels like…to have your life suddenly taken from you?! To have your family taken away from you? To have to live every single day wondering if you were going to be able to eat or not? To be used by every person you met?"

With every statement she said, Leafs voice grew louder and more threatening. She stopped just inches from the psychic pokemon before yell out "NO!? Well…you're about to find out!"

Red watched in horror as she raised her hand and commanded articuno, zapdos and moltres to relentlessly attack the defeated pokemon

"Leaf! What are you doing?! STOP THIS!" He yelled as he ran over to her.

Despite his yelling, Leaf couldn't hear him, she was so focused right now that she couldn't hear anything; all she knew was that the moment of her revenge had come.

Her hand and voice shook as she slowly raised it to give the last order "You…..took my family away from me…..and now…."

Before Leaf could give her last order she felt something grab her wrist and spin her around. As he did, Red could see her eyes were filled with such a vile hate and anger.

"LEAF STOP IT! YOU'RE BETTER THAN THIS!" Red yelled at her as they locked eyes.

"DON'T STOP ME RED!" She yelled back as she tried to wrestle him away.

"LEAF! IF YOU DO THIS YOU'RE GOING TO REGRET IT FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!"

"I HAVE TO RED!" She stated as tears began to fall from her eyes "This…IS FOR MY PARENTS!"

"Do you really think your parents would be happy that you took another life for their sake?!" Red asked as he turned Leaf around to see what she had done "Leaf look, you've beaten it, it's over….."

Leaf looked down at the fallen pokemon. Its whole body was shaking and eventually when their eyes met, Leaf saw something in them she would have never expected….it was scared. Not only was it scared, but it was scared of her. In that moment, Leaf fully realized what she had just done; her eyes widened and she felt herself falling backward from shock of it all, only to be caught from behind.

"Leaf…..you know this isn't going to solve anything…..or bring your parents back….." She heard Red whisper from behind.

"Red…How could I of? I almost…took somethings life?!"

Red could feel her whole body shaking at the shock of what she almost did "I know…..it's okay….you didn't do it." He replied as he slowly wrapped his arms around her waist.

Shocked upon realizing that it was still alive, Mewtwo slowly managed to get to its feet "**Why?**" It muttered in their minds "**Why didn't you do it?**"

Leaf had no words to reply with, she was still in shock over what she almost did.

"**I see…I'm not worth the effort, is that it? I'm artificial, so what's the point of destroying something if it doesn't truly exist…**" Mewtwo belittled itself "**Just like a hum-**"

"Enough with this human talk Mewtwo!" Red sternly yelled at it.

"You may not realize this, but years ago you….you killed her father and her whole life changed for the worse!" Red stopped as he looked down at the shivering girl in front of him "It's haunted her for years and she deserves to know why! What happened that day that made you do that? What did he do to you?"

Now it was Mewtwos turn to be speechless.

Before it could reply, Leaf looked up at it and suddenly spoke up "Please! Just tell me!" She pleaded.

Mewtwo turned away from them "**I…have no reason.**"

Red narrowed his eyes "What? How can you not have a reason for killing someo-"

"**Because what ended up happening that day was beyond my control!**" Mewtwo immediately replied back.

It slowly looked down at the shivering Leaf "**During our battle you…asked me if I knew what it was like to be used and alone?" **It said as it looked down at Leaf** "I know…more than anyone. My whole life I've been an outcast!**"

Leaf was about to say something back, but Red stopped her.

"Let's hear what it has to say Leaf."

Mewtwo sighed as it began its story "**I was born into that laboratory…apparently as a failed experiment. But instead of disposing of me…the humans…used me as an excuse to perform their sick experiments on."** It narrowed its eyes as it remembered more** "Every day I was subjected to harsh experiments, battled against powerful opponents and injected with substances unknown to me. The humans wanted to make me into a weapon, they didn't care if I lived or died and every night I would go to sleep, hoping that it would just end.**"

"That's….terrible…." Leaf whispered as Mewtwo continued.

"**My only salvation was a pokemon that I was placed in a room with, a kabotops. Unlike myself, it was not cloned, but brought back from extinction.**"

"I bet it was probably one of the first fossil pokemon resurrected." Red noted.

"**Yes, it was the only one of its kind at that time." Mewtwo clarified "See, I wasn't the only pokemon being bred in that laboratory, there were others…and this one I had grown quite fond of.**"

Red and Leaf didn't know if their eyes were deceiving them, but they could have sworn a small smile formed on Mewtwos face as it continued.

"**The two of us would often talk about leaving the technological hell we had been born into and finding some place where we could live free from the humans. Every time we talked…it felt like…for just a brief moment…we were free…" **Its smile then slowly faded into a frown** "Then one day…the humans took that pokemon away for testing…I remember it was something about enhancing its capabilities…and it never returned…the humans told me…it was never coming back.**"

"What happened to it?" Red asked, now completely intrigued.

"**That I don't know…but I had never felt so angry and alone in life. That day, when they came to do their experiments on me, I was determined to get free no matter what!**"

Leaf hesitated to say what she thought it was going to say "And….you….killed them?"

Mewtwo shook its head "**No…back then my psychic powers weren't as strong as they are now. I couldn't kill anyone, even if I wanted too. But, I could at least push them back." It shook its head again "Despite my best attempts to escape, the researchers managed to catch up with me and send their pokemon against me. During the struggle I shot a single shadow ball at one of the attacking pokemon. It dodged and my shadow ball ended up hitting a generator and causing an explosion that would engulf the entire facility.**"

Mewtwo looked down at its feet as it thought more about the situation **"I don't know how many humans or innocent pokemon were killed in that blast and to be honest, after all the suffering the humans put me through, I didn't care. In all that confusion, I managed to escape from that laboratory and upon finding this cave, I thought that I was free at last…but they pursued me.**"

Reds eyes widened "They….still tried to fight you?"

Mewtwo nodded "**Yes…The first few times we fought, I barely came out the victor, but as time went on, I got stronger and stronger. I used the environment to my advantage and before long, those that pursued me, began to fear me. All my mind could focus on was my hatred for the humans who wronged me. I became obsessed with defeating humans and when I became strong enough, made that barrier so that they would send their strongest trainer against me. I thought…if I beat the strongest trainer, everyone would fear me.**"

"**But…I met you instead**" It said as it looked at Red and Leaf "**And you made me realize something today…**"

"W-what was that?" Leaf whispered to it.

"**Never once did I consider how the events of that day would affect the lives of the ones close to those who were killed…how it changed their lives…and to be honest…if I knew how much those people had suffered back then…I may have reconsidered what I did.**"

Red couldn't take it anymore; he felt really bad for this pokemon and desperately wanted to help it. "Mewtwo…I mean it when I say that I really want to give you a second chance, to trust and live with humans again." Red stated as he extended his hand to it.

"**Young man…I believe you when you say that you want to give me a second chance in life…however…**" It hesitated as it looked down at Leaf "**You're not the only one I have to convince of that…**"

Red looked over to see Leaf looking down at her feet "Leaf….come on…" He stated as he put his arm around her "Mewtwo has just as much a right to redeem itself as you did…."

"I…know Red…I just…." She stuttered to find her words. After everything that Mewtwo had just told her, she really felt terrible for what she almost did.

"**Young lady…**" Mewtwo spoke in her in her mind causing her to look up at it "**I know I may never be able gain your forgiveness…but believe me when I say: I am truly sorry for what happened to your father that day and the pain it caused you.**"

Leaf took a deep breath, she knew it wasn't lying to her "To be honest….before coming here, all I could think about was defeating you and getting revenge for my parents." She admitted as her eyes darted from side to side "But now that I see you…face to face….and I know what you've been through….I don't know if I can say that anymore….."

Mewtwo looked at her in awe as she continued.

"Honestly Mewtwo, you and I are not that different; just like you, I was used and alone for so long in my life and I'm sure if I had continued living like that….maybe I would have ended up like you are now."

"**Allow me a question.**" Mewtwo said as it rose its hand to her "**What prevented you from going down that path? What drives you?**"

Leaf smiled, that was an easy question "Having someone who will always be there for you, someone who cares" She said as she glanced over at Red "Mewtwo, I have days where I want to sink back into that hole I was in before and just end it. But every time I do, Red and my pokemon are there to remind me what it means to live my life to its fullest and it keeps me going. You've never had someone like that, so you wouldn't know what it's like."

Red couldn't help but smile at her as she continued "I can't bring my family back Mewtwo….but I can try to help you repair your life!" Leaf stated as she extended her hand as well "That is if you're willing to try!"

Mewtwo was completely shocked, no one had ever showed this much care for it before "**Why couldn't I have met humans like you years ago?**" It sadly replied.

Red shook his head "I'm just glad we did meet! It's never too late to change Mewtwo!" He said as he presented the luxury ball to it "So what do you say? Will you come with us? Maybe…we can even help you find your friend!"

Mewtwo stared longingly at the luxury ball "**Yes…I want to come with you, but…don't make promises you can't keep…**"

"We never do." Leaf whispered to it as the mewtwo was encapsulated by the luxury ball and it dropped on the floor of the cave.

Red watched as Leaf slowly walked over, picked the ball up and stared at it.

"I never thought that I would be holding this pokemon in my hands…." She admitted.

"What you did today was very brave Leaf." Red stated as he held her shoulder "You could have easily ended it a different way, but you didn't!"

Leaf just continued to stare at the ball "Still….I can't believe how I snapped today…Red I could of-"

Red stopped her before she could finish her sentence "It's okay, you didn't do anything." He said as he looked towards the exit.

"Come on! Let's get out of here!"

* * *

As they exited the cave Leaf could see that despite all they accomplished today, Red had a worried look on his face.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

Red sighed "I'm going to have a lot of explaining to do tomorrow..."

**The Next Day**

"And that's my report on what happened" Red concluded as he finished explaining what happened to the league representatives. "It is my wish that Mewtwo remain in my care from now on."

"Outrageous!" The smartly dressed man from the pokemon research labs argued "Mewtwo is the property of the pokemon research labs and should be returned to our care!"

"You're care?" Red mocked as he glared at the man "Should I bring in the pokemon itself to explain to everyone how you care for your pokemon?!"

The man promptly went silent as Lance looked over at him "We will deal with that issue at a different time!" He sternly remarked as he turned back to Red "Now Red, before I make my decision, I have one question for you. Why didn't you use the master ball we supplied?"

Red chuckled as he held up the master ball for everyone to see "Unfortunately Lance, while the masterball may be able to catch anything, it's not psychic proof!" He then held up the black and orange luxury ball "This is what I caught mewtwo in, a luxury ball supplied by Blaine. It will help mewtwo adjust to everyday life a lot easier!"

Lance nodded "And where is it right now?"

"My partner is taking care of it as we speak." Red explained as he rubbed his temple and laughed to himself "And believe me, she is more than capable of taking care of it."

"I believe that Mewtwo deserves a second chance in life" Red stated looked to each one of the league representatives before finally looking at Lance "I want to give it that chance and I promise that I will accept full responsibility if something happens."

Lance smiled at him "Very well, I'll grant your request! I believe you'll be a great trainer for it!" He announced "Meeting adjured!"

* * *

With the meeting over, Red promptly headed over to professor oaks lab.

"Here it is professor, the data on all 150 pokemon in the Kanto region, as promised!" Red stated as he proudly handed his pokedex over.

Professor Oak couldn't believe it. The little boy, who came to him all those years ago, accomplished something that no one else could "Red…you have no idea how much your contributions mean to us!" He exclaimed "We promise to use the information you've gathered to understand pokemon better and help better their relations with us."

Red smiled "I know you will!"

"It looks like you have a visitor!" Oak noted as he looked behind Red.

Red looked over his shoulder, to see the caped dragon master himself standing there.

"Lance!" Red shouted as he ran over to him "Thank you for standing up for me today!"

Lance looked at him and extended his hand "Red I knew from the moment we met that you would achieve your dream and now it's finally realized! Congratulations!"

"Thanks!" Red replied as he extended his hand as well.

As they shook hands, Lance looked down at him "I still wish you would consider taking the position as champion, but I know you enjoy having the freedom of going to different regions."

"Lance….I-"

"I know…" Lance stopped him before he could say anything "I'll be happy to hold on to your Kanto league licence until you come back."

Red looked at him confused and promptly shook his head "No! I'm going to keep it!"

"Really?!" Both Lance and Professor Oak said in unison.

Red looked down at his licence and shrugged "Look…I'm not saying I'm ready to be champion or anything….I mean…before I do anything, I promised Leaf we would see the other regions together…" He then proceeded to roll his eyes around in thought "Annnddd….after that….."

"After that, we'll see!" Lance noted.

"Yes! Definitely!"

Lance crossed his arms as he looked down at Red "When that day comes….I'll be waiting for you!"

Red smirked back at him "You'd better prepare yourself!"

The two laughed before Lance spoke up again.

"Speaking of Leaf….why wasn't she at the meeting today? I wanted to congratulate her as well!"

Red tipped his hat over his eyes and began laughing "Even though Leaf and I are together…we still have different views on certain things."

"Meaning?"

Red sighed and rolled his eyes "She told me the meeting would be too boring for her and promptly walked away with her head held high."

Lance couldn't help but laugh as well "Yep! That's Leaf alright!"

"Oh! Professor?" Red asked as he was about to leave "May I have my old pokedex back?"

Professor Oak looked down at Reds old pokedex and handed it to him "Sure Red, but there's no more information on it."

Red smiled as it took it back "That's fine, I just….want it as a memento." He stated as he waved goodbye.

Lance watched as he ran off "_Take care Red._" He thought to himself.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the house, Leaf was helping mewtwo get accustomed to living with them.

"Come on Mewtwo! Give it a try!" Leaf urged as she presented mewtwo with some pokemon food. "**Well…I** " Mewtwo began to speak as it looked at Pikachu and jigglypuff stuffing their faces "**I…don't…**"

"Pika! Pika!" Pikachu stated as it looked up at mewtwo.

"**Hmm…you say it's good?**"

"Jiggly! Jiggly" Jigglypuff chimed in.

"**Okay…if you say so.**"

Leaf watched Mewtwos eyes widen as it tasted some of Reds homemade pokemon food "It's…good" It stated as it quickly at the rest "It's really good!"

Mewtwo then took its bowl and handed it back to Leaf "**Umm…may I bother you for some more?**" It shyly asked.

"Hey! What do you think this is? A restaurant?" Leaf lectured as she put her hands on her hips "I'm not your waitress!"

Mewtwo looked down at the floor, ashamed of itself "**Oh…I see…forgive me…**" It apologized, but was surprised when Leafs demeanor suddenly changed and she started laughing.

"**W-what? What's so funny?**"

"I was just kidding Mewtwo!' She winked "Geez! I'm sorry? How much IQ did Red you say you had? I'm starting to wonder if that's true!" She laughed as she ran into the kitchen.

Mewtwo stared at her dumbfounded before kneeling down to Pikachu and jiggypuffs level "**May I ask you two something?**" It inquired and they both looked up "**Is…is she always like this?**"

Pikachu and Jigglypuff looked at each other for a few seconds, turned back to mewtwo and nodded simultaneously

"**I see…humans can be very strange…**"

"I can hear you talking in my head you know!" Leaf yelled from the kitchen.

Just then, the door swung open and Red strolled in "Hello everyone!" He greeted.

Upon hearing his voice, Pikachu and jigglypuff immediately looked up and jumped into his arms.

"Hey! Come on, I wasn't gone that long!" Red chuckled as he petted both pokemons heads and walked over to Mewtwo "And how are you today Mewtwo?"

Mewtwo slowly looked around the house "**It's definitely a bit of an adjustment for me bu-**"

"RED!" Leaf yelled as she bolted from the kitchen and threw her arms around him.

"Leaf! My arms are full as is!" Red gasped as she squeezed him tighter.

"Hey Mewtwo! You wanna get in on this hug too!" She offered to it.

Mewtwo shyly looked away "**Umm…well…**"

Red laughed as he extended his arm to it "Come on Mewtwo! You're a member of this family now too!"

Mewtwo couldn't believe what it was hearing "**What! R-really? You…convinced them?** "

"Yep! I got it cleared up with the league today, you're now one of us!" Red proudly proclaimed.

"**So…we're always going to be together?**"

Leaf nudged it in the side "Yep! Even if the league didn't agree to it. You're stuck with us! For life!" She happily stated as she turned to Red "Red! You should have heard it! Mewtwo was praising your cooking!'

"Oh? Is that so?" Red smiled as he looked over at Mewtwo.

Mewtwo looked totally confused "**Why is that so significant?**"

"Because!" Leaf said as she burst out laughing "Nobody praises Reds cooking!"

"Hey! " Red shot back "Mewtwo just has good taste! That's all!" He remarked as he began laughing as well.

As it watched Red and Leaf something happened, whether voluntary or not, for the first time in its life mewtwo felt a smile form on its face "**A family…**" It thought as Red came over.

"If you like it that much, they'll be plenty more where that came from!" Red stated as he put Pikachu and jigglypuff down and turned to Leaf.

"Hey Leaf….do you mind….coming somewhere with me?"

Leaf draped her arm around him "Of course Red, I'm always ready to go places with you!"

Red looked down at his pokemon "Don't worry, it's…not far."

Leaf smirked as she pointed at the three pokemon "Alright! Pikachu, jigglypuff, mewtwo! We're counting on you to watch over the house for us!"

Mewtwo smiled as it looked down at the two pokemon "**Don't worry! The house is safe with us!**"

Leaf smiled as she turned to Red "See Red, with Mewtwo here, we'll never have to worry about anything getting stolen!"

"Leaf, every day I have you in the house, there is a possibility that something could get stolen!" Red sarcastically replied.

"You wanna run that by me again mister?!" Leaf yelled as she punched Red in the shoulder.

Mewtwo shook its head as it watched them leave the house "**They…really are strange aren't they.**" It said as it looked down at Pikachu and jigglypuff "**But…I think that's what I like about them.**"

* * *

The two made a few stops before Red finally lead Leaf to a graveyard on the outskirts of Pallet town.

Leaf slowly looked around "Red…is this…."

Red nodded "….where my mom is resting…"

He lead Leaf over to an old gravestone that looked a little weathered, but she could still make out the writing on it, it was indeed the gravestone of Reds mom.

"It's been a long time since I last visited." Red remarked as he knelt down and pulled a bouquet of flowers out of his coat to put down beside the grave.

"Don't worry Leaf!" Red stated as he then pulled out a brush and began cleaning the gravestone "I'll buy you flowers after we're done here."

"Huh?" Leaf stammered as she began to blush "What are you talking about? I didn't want any flowers!"

Red chuckled to himself "Oh really? Then why were you pouting when I told you that these flowers weren't for you?"

Leaf was completely flustered, she didn't want to admit that she really wanted flowers too "That is…I….here, let me help you with that!" Leaf stated as she knelt down beside him and started cleaning as well.

The two spent the next few minutes cleaning the grave stone and before long, it was spotless.

"There, good as new!" Leaf proclaimed as she dusted herself off. "You know….I really wish I could have met your mom, she sounded like a great woman."

Red gave a slight chuckle "She probably would have liked you a lot….."

Leaf watched as Red stared at the gravestone and sighed deeply.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah….just can't believe it's over." Red sighed "I mean, I've wanted to complete the pokedex for years and mom was the one who made me want to do it."

As he continued to stare at her grave stone, Red's mind began to drift back to when it all began.

**Many Years Ago**

"Come on son! You can do it!" Reds mom cheered as she watched her son battle a pidgey.

Red narrowed his eyes "Pikachu! Use thundershock!" He called out and as ordered Pikachu released a small jolt of electricity from its cheeks.

Unfortunately, Pikachu was too slow and the pidgey quickly dodged and retaliated.

"Watch out! It's coming right at us!" Red yelled as he was knocked down by the angry pokemon.

"Oh-no!" His mom screamed as she quickly ran to his side "Are you hurt?"

"N-no….I'm fine…" Red winced as he tried to stand up.

His mom smiled at him as she shook her head "You don't need to act strong for me, let me see the wound." She stated as she knelt down and exposed the wound "Here, I'm just going to rub a little of this full restore on you and it should heal in no time!"

Red watched in awe as the swelling on his wound dissipated instantly.

"I heard that Professor Oak gave you a pokedex today." Reds mom said as she tended to his wound.

Red happily nodded "Yep! Here it is!" He pulled out the red device from his pocket "There are so many pokemon in this world and I want to see them all!"

"You're father once wanted to do the same…..but now he's- " Suddenly Reds mom turned away and began coughing profusely.

"Mom! Are you okay?!" Red asked as he ran to her side.

"Y-yes…..I just need to catch my breath." She said as she held him back.

Red was scared, his mom had been having these cough fits a lot lately and he feared that maybe he had done something wrong.

"Mom…..I'm going to do it! Not only am I going to become champion, I'm going to do what Dad couldn't!" He proudly stated "I'm going to catch every pokemon and complete the pokedex!"

His moms eyes glistened as she watched how enthusiastic her son was with his goal "Well….." She said as she bent down to his level "No matter how many pokemon you catch….I'm going to love you no matter what!"

Even though she knew that she didn't have a lot of time left, Reds mom wanted him to be as happy as he could. She then proceeded to wrap her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"Hey! Hey! Mom!" Red squirmed as he blushed at her showing of affection "Champions aren't supposed to show their feelings!"

She shook her head and continued to smile at him "Even if that's the case, I still love you."

"Oh Mom…..I love you too." He sighed as he hugged her back.

**End of Flashback**

The more Red thought back to those days, the more he realized how much he actually missed his mom and before long tears started streaming from his eyes.

"Red are you okay?" Leaf asked out of concern.

"Y-yeah…I'm fine…" He sniffled as he wiped his tears "I really shouldn't cry about this in front of you. Especially compared to what happened to your parents."

"What?" Leaf gasped in shock as she quickly kneeled down beside Red and threw her arms around him "Red…just because my parents died horribly doesn't mean you should be any less sad about what happened to your mom."

"I know…" He said as he sniffed back tears "But I still feel like if I did things differently….."

"Red…" Leaf stared deeply into his eyes "Bad things happen that we have no control over. What happened to your mom wasn't your fault! It was never your fault!"

Red could only stare back at her "Oh….Leaf!" He cried as he hugged her tightly.

Leaf gently patted his back "It's okay….it's okay…I promise I won't ever leave you."

The two hugged for a few minutes in silence before Leaf finally spoke up.

"Come on Red, cheer up! Our pokemon wouldn't want to see you sad."

"Yeah…" Red replied as he wiped his eyes "You're right!"

Leaf shook her head "Oh course I'm right! The great shadow thief is never wrong!" She winked at him.

Red looked away "_The worst part about that statement is that it's not completely false…." _He thought to himself as they both stood up.

As they started to walk away, Red suddenly stopped and ran back.

"Hold on a sec Leaf! I forgot to do something" He yelled as he ran back to his moms grave, placed something on the ground and ran back.

"Okay!" He panted as he grabbed her hand "Now we can go home!"

Leaf raised her eyebrows "Oh? You sure you're not forgetting anything else Red?"

Red scratched his head "I don't think so…."

Leaf pouted as she looked away "I…thought you were going to get me flowers?"

Red smacked his forehead "Shoot! I completely forgot Leaf! What kind of flowers do you want?"

Leaf rubbed against him "It doesn't matter to me!" She replied as she kissed him on the cheek.

As they left the graveyard Leaf quickly looked back to see what Red had placed there and her eyes widened when she realized what it was; he had placed his old pokedex on his mother's grave, signifying that he had fulfilled his promise.

After so many years and hardships, Red's journey had finally come to an end.

* * *

**Hey everyone, me again. I just want you guys to know that the next chapter will indeed be the final chapter of this story (I know, I can't believe it either! I'm...actually kind of sad about that) As to when it's going to come out...I don't know, I hope to get it done before the end of the year. Now I haven't decided if I'm going do the final chapter first or go back and tweek some of the old chapters first. Regardless, I just want to thank everyone for sticking with the story for this long, you guys are awesome! Thank you so much! Until the final chapter, Ciao!**


	20. Final Chapter Part 1: A Romantic End

**Greetings Ladies and Gentleman, I know you're probably wondering what the heck I mean by "Part 1"? Well, I've been writing the final chapter for a few months now and believe it or not, it ended up being longer than the last chapter (which I never thought would happen). And after reading it over, I found it was really draining to read it all in one sitting, so I made the executive decision to release it in two parts: The first of which is the fluffy romantic part you see below you. As for the second part, don't worry, I plan to have it up in a weeks time. That being said, enjoy the first part of the final chapter :)**

* * *

Final Chapter Part 1: A Romantic End

Weeks had passed since the eventful battle with Mewtwo at Cerulean Cave and thankfully for all parties involved, everything was settling down. Mewtwo had finally grown accustomed to living in a normal, home setting and for both Red and Leaf, having the psychic pokemon living with them was quite the experience; especially since it was able to actually communicate with them. For Leaf, it gave her another victim to tease and for Red, it gave him someone else to confide in when Leaf went on one of her tirades.

Now that everything had calmed down, Red decided that this would be to best time to fulfill his promise to Leaf and offer to take her out again. Of course she accepted and Red was ecstatic because this time, he would be doing this date on his own terms, not somebody elses. As such, that night, Leaf found herself on the streets of Vermillion city, being lead to a restaurant of Red's choosing.

"Oh Red! This is so exciting!" Leaf happily exclaimed as the two walked hand in hand through the moonbathed streets of Vermillion "I never thought we would ever get the chance to go out like this again!"

"I promised didn't I?" Red proudly stated as he looked over at her "And this time….we're doing it right! I've made sure that I planned everything out in advance!"

As his eyes met hers, Red couldn't get over how stunning she looked. Leaf was wearing the same sparkling black dress that she wore the last time they went out and that he….indirectly bought for her. But Red didn't mind, he thought the dress was much prettier than the plain old suit he was wearing.

It wasn't long before the two reached their destination and as soon as they reached the restaurant, there was a garrison of waiters ready to show them to their table.

"Now you see Leaf, this is how you choose a restaurant!" Red stated as he and Leaf were brought to their table and sat down in their chairs "It's fancy, but not too fancy, the food's great and, above all else, I made sure to bring enough money to afford it!"

"Oh really Red?" Leaf replied as a sarcastic grin formed on her face "If you're such a restaurant expert, why'd you trust Blue with picking it last time!"

Red's face went flush as he nervously scratched the back of his head "THAT'S….I…because…" He stammered, trying to find the right words, until he finally admitted "….because I'm an idiot that's why…."

The smirk on Leafs face grew bigger "Aww….it's okay, don't feel bad Red…." She giggled and slowly patted his hand "I knew you were an idiot long before we had our first date!"

Upon hearing that, Reds face immediately scrunched up in embarrassment "_Yep….yep….."_ He thought as he glared at her_ "She just went there!_"

"Hee! Hee!" Leaf giggled as she watched him glare at her "Come on Red, you know what I really think of you!"

Red shot her a sarcastic look "Do I?" He chuckled as he crossed his arms "Do I really Leaf?"

As the two laughed at one another, one of the waiters brought a beautiful bottle over to the table "Here you are sir, our finest bottle on the house!" He explained as he showed Red the bottle.

Red nodded as he took the bottle from the waiter "Thank you very much." He said as he started to unscrew it.

"Is that….berry juice Red?" Leaf curiously asked as she looked at the bottle.

"Oh! Not just any berry juice!" Red proudly proclaimed "Enigmatic berry juice! Some of the rarest there is!"

Leaf watched in excitement as he filled both of their glasses, she was always willing to try new berry juice.

"This is a special occasion after all Leaf." Red noted as a smile formed on his face "To celebrate finally achieving my dream of filling out the pokedex and-"

"Finding someone that I could never have dreamed of!" Leaf immediately chimed in.

Red blushed and looked away; he knew exactly what she meant. For so long, Leaf was looking for someone who actually cared about her and he wanted her to know just how much she meant him.

As he was thinking to himself, Red watched as a smile formed on Leafs face and she quickly grabbed her glass "To us!" She announced and raised her glass towards him.

Red smiled as he raised his glass as well "Yeah….to us!" He happily stated "….always."

The two tinged there glasses together and as Leaf quickly gulped her drink down, Red slowly reached into his pocket.

"Actually Leaf….I…got you something to commemorate this day."

Leafs eyes widened as Red pulled a beautifully wrapped small box from his pocket and presented it to her.

"Here Leaf…" Red said as he placed the present on the table and pushed it towards her "This is for you."

Leaf stared at the gift for a few seconds before looking back up at Red with an evil grin.

"I don't want it!" Leaf joked as she pushed the gift back in Reds face, turned her head away and started laughing.

Red was totally confused "Huh? OH! HA! HA!" He sarcastically replied as he watched Leaf laugh and pushed the gift back into her hands "Take it!"

"I don't want it!" Leaf scoffed and pushed the present back in Reds face more forcefully this time.

Wanting to best Leaf at her own game, Red snatched the present from her hand "You don't want it! OK FINE!" He yelled, causing everyone in the restaurant to turn to him and threw the present on the ground.

The impact of the gift hitting the floor caused the top of box to fall off revealing a beautiful necklace concealed inside.

Leafs heart stopped the moment she saw what the gift was "Oh….Red….." She gasped and carefully bent down to pick the necklace up "Why didn't you tell me something so valuable was inside!"

"W-well….you kinda didn't give me a chance…" Red replied as he nervously rubbed the back of his head "S-so do you like it?"

Leaf was completely entranced by the necklace; it had a beautiful gold chain and in the centre was a rainbow coloured spherical stone that shone no matter what angle she turned it.

"R-red….this is….I…I-" She was at a complete loss of words. For her, this was something she would have normally obtained by stealing it, not because somebody gave it to her.

"Here, let me help you put it on…." Red said as he walked behind her and placed it around her neck. He then carefully tied the necklace together and stepped back "Wow….it looks so beautiful on you."

"Y-you think so?" Leaf blushed as she looked down at the necklace.

"I do" Red smiled and traced his finger over the rainbow coloured stone "Leaf, this necklace is very special; the stone in the middle is a very rare stone I found in the Kalos region."

Red then held up his arm to reveal that he was wearing a bracelet with a similar looking stone infused on it. "See, your stone and mine are part of a set and as long as we both have our stones, you and I are connected by a bond that can't be broken."

"Wow…." Leaf whispered, completely entranced by the stone "It's….that….special…"

She then turned to Red, who had the warmest smile on his face "Yes…..it really is that special!" He noted before turning away from her "Take good care of that stone Leaf…..It might save your life one day….."

Leaf looked at Red in shock "W-what's that supposed to mean?" She nervously asked as he made his way back to his chair.

With no hat to tip over his eyes, Red turned away and cryptically stated "That's for me to know and for you to find out!"

"_Uggh! Why does he have to play the enigmatic game with me NOW of all times?!_"Leaf thought as she gritted her teeth in frustration.

Before she could inquire about the stone any further, their food arrived at the table and Leaf quickly forgot about the whole stone issue as she quickly dug in.

* * *

As some time passed, Red noticed that Leaf had stopped eating and was sadly looking at the necklace that he had given to her.

"What's wrong Leaf?" He inquired "Don't you like your gift?"

"I…I do….I really do…" Leaf replied as she looked up at him "It's….just…..I…..I"

He watched as she nervously fidgeted about, trying to find her words "I…..I got you something to commemorate this day too." She said looking down at the necklace "But….it's nowhere near as beautiful or special as this necklace is….."

Red was shocked, in all the time that he and Leaf had been together, she had never bought him a gift before and he had to admit, he was really curious as to what she had gotten him.

"Leaf…." Red sighed as he held her hand "I'm sure I'll find whatever gift you got for me to be special."

The warmth of Reds touch made Leaf blush profusely "O-okay then…"

Just as Leaf was about to reach into her bag, she immediately looked up "On second thought…..let's do this the formal way!" She stated and pointed at him "Close your eyes Red!"

Red raised his eyebrows remembering the last time Leaf did this to him "This again?"

"DO IT!"

Not wanting to make her angry, Red immediately closed his eyes "Now, no peeking Red!" He heard Leaf say to him and then suddenly heard something make a loud *thud* on the table.

"Okay! Open your eyes!" Leaf excitedly called out and as Red opened his eyes, he was baffled at the sight before him.

"It's…..a jar?"

Leaf happily nodded in reply "YEP!"

Red carefully observed his gift "I don't get it….is the….jar supposed to symbolize something Leaf?" He teased trying to get Leaf back for what she did earlier.

Leafs eyes narrowed as Red continued his sarcastic rant.

"OH! Perhaps it symbolizes how you want to bottle up all our love for one another and keep it for all etern-"

"YOU MORON! JUST OPEN IT!" She blurted out, unable to wait any longer.

"Okay! Okay! Hold on a sec."

Red carefully picked up the jar and scanned it over quickly before carefully unscrewing the top. He peered in at the jars contents and Leaf watched as Reds eyes widened with awe.

"L-leaf…this is….."

Red carefully tipped the jar over, allowing its contents to fall on the table. All the items inside were items from their journey. Among them were all 8 of Leafs gym badges, Leafs name tag from when she was in the hospital and one of Claires hair clips, just to name a few.

"It's…..a memory jar…." Leaf nervously explained "See, all the items I put in it have a special memory attached to them; whether that memory is big or small, happy or sad, they're all important to me." She then reached down and picked up the poorly drawn picture of her the Jennies gave Red when they met "This picture was the first memory I kept and I've been adding to it ever since."

Leaf slowly put the picture back down and shyly looked up at Red "I…I know it's nothing fancy…..but it means so much to me…..and I want you to have it."

"Leaf….." Red whispered as he looked over all the items before him "This is…..incredible…."

He then picked up Leafs hospital tag and stared at it "You're right…I remember it all; the good….the bad…but through it all it helped bring us to where we are now…I could never forget….." He whispered and carefully put each item back in the jar.

"Leaf….thank you….I'll always treasure this and I'll make sure to continue adding to it!"

Leaf could barely contain her excitement "_H-he liked it…..he really liked it!_"

"Come on Leaf, we should finish our meal before it gets cold!" Red stated as he resumed eating his meal.

Upon looking down at her food, Leafs stomach began to growl "Right! All this gift giving has really made me hungry!" She noted as she resumed eating as well.

* * *

Some time had passed since the two had finished their meal and Leaf could see that Red was growing increasingly anxious.

"MMM! That meal was great Red! You really did make the right choice!" Leaf stated with content.

"Excuse me!" Red yelled out trying to get one of the waiter's attention, but they just kept walking by him "Ugh! I just want to pay the bill!" He growled under his breath.

Just then Reds PokeNav started beeping loudly; alerting him that someone was calling.

"Oh great…." Red sighed as he stood up. He then took out some pokedollars and passed them to Leaf "Leaf, I have to go outside and take this call. If one of the waiters come by can you pay them for me?"

"Sure Red!" She winked at him "You can count on me!"

"Thanks!' He waved as he walked away "I'll only be a few minutes!"

Red quickly made his way outside and opened his PokeNav to see that it was none other than Blue who was calling him.

"Hello! Former champion Red speaking!" He announced in a gruff, professional voice.

"What kind of greeting was that?!" Blue yelled over the phone "Who do you think you are? A businessman?!"

"Maayybee!" Red teased his spiky haired friend "I can tell you one thing that I am: A better restaurant picker than you are!"

"Really!" Blue immediately retorted "Well that's great! Cause I'm never helping you ever again you ungrateful bastard!"

Red couldn't help but laugh at his friends reaction "Hey, in all seriousness, thanks for helping get that gold chain for me, you came through again!"

"You'd better be!" Blue scolded him "I swear that girl at the boutique store thinks I swing the wrong way! So how are things going?"

Red gave his friend a brief overview of everything that had happened so far and ended it with "….the night's just getting started Blue! Who knows what's going to happen next!"

"Uh-huh…yeah maybe if you're lucky she'll let you hold her hand again!" Blue teased "Oh who am I kidding?! Knowing you…."

As Red continued to listen to Blues rant, a thought crossed his mind.

"_D-did I…..just seriously leave Leaf alone to pay for our meal….._"

"RED!" Blues voice rang from the PokeNav "Are you even listening to me?!"

"Huh?" Red gasped as he was brought back to reality "Yeah I'm listening!"

Blue sighed heavily before continuing "Look Red…..there's something I gotta tell yo-" But he immediately stopped as they both heard a loud *Crash* come from the restaurant.

"What's going on?" Blue asked in shock.

"I-I don't know!" Red replied as he looked around in a panic "Look I'll call you back okay?!"

As he shut off the PokeNav, Red could hear a sudden increase in commotion coming from inside the restaurant.

"_Oh-no! Don't tell m-_"

Before he could finish his thought, Reds vision was suddenly impeded as something jumped in front of him.

"WHAT THE-" He gasped out of shock as the figure stood up and Red knew full well who it was "LEAF! WHAT ARE YO-" Red was cut off as Leaf put a finger to his lips.

"They told me to wait! And no one makes the Great Shadow Thief wait!" Leaf declared as she took off her high heels and threw them in Reds arms "Now come on! We need to get outta here!"

"OH-NO YOU DON'T!" Red yelled as he grabbed her arm "We are going back and we are paying for our mea-"

Red stopped as he heard a voice yell out to him "HEY YOU! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

His eyes widened as he saw an army of waiters running towards them.

"Uhh…on second thought! I say we make like we're losing a battle and FLEE!" Red stated as he quickly grabbed Leafs arm and the two ran as fast as their feet could carry them through the streets of Vermillion.

The two kept running through back alleyways until they were certain that no one was following them.

* * *

*Huff* *Huff* "I…can't…believe…it!" Red said between breaths "We stole from ANOTHER restaurant! Leaf! How could you let this hap-"

He looked over to see that Leaf was stuffing her face with something "WHAT ARE YOU EATING?!"

"Chocolates!" Leaf replied with a blush on her face.

She then reached into her pocket and pulled out some more "You want some? I stole them from the restaurant."

"LEAF!" Red yelled as his eyes widened "Seriously! We're never going to be able to eat out anywhere if you keep doing this!"

"Oh come on Red!" Leaf replied as she waved him off "If that happens, just tell them that you're the ex-champion and they'll have to bow to your wishes!"

Red couldn't believe what he was hearing "ARE YOU KIDDING ME! I WOULD NEV-MMPPHHH!"

His words were cut off as Leaf put a chocolate in his mouth "You talk too much! You know that?" Leaf giggled as she pressed her finger against his lips "Now, you be quiet and eat your chocolate like a good boy!"

Red grumbled as he chewed his chocolate "_You're really enjoying pushing my buttons tonight, aren't you Leaf?!_" He thought to himself as he let the chocolate melt in his mouth "_Ughh! Why does this chocolate have to taste so good!_"

As Red ate his chocolate, Leaf turned to him and wagged her finger "Hey! If it makes you feel better, I didn't completely steal from them! I will have you know that I left them a very generous tip!"

"A tip?" Red muttered as he tried to swallow his chocolate "What kind of tip?"

Leaf gave Red a mischievous smirk before reaching into her pocket "Ohhhhh…..just this!"

Red stood dumbfounded as Leaf placed a card in hand and his eyes widened as he read what was on it out loud "You've just been swindled by the Great Shadow Thief! Have a nice day sweeties?!" He then looked back up at her "Leaf! What is this?!"

Leaf shrugged "Red…it's my calling card!" She explained "All the great ones leave their marks and this one's mine!"

Red had so many things he wanted to say to her, but the only thing that came out of his mouth was "Leaf….you are aware that you are not the first thief to leave a calling card…..right?"

"Yeah….but do those inferior cards have a cute picture of jigglypuff and I on the back?" Leaf teased as she nudged Red in the shoulder "I DON'T THINK SO!"

Red slapped his head in defeat, he had no idea how to respond to that and sure enough, when he turned the card around, there was a picture of Leaf and jigglypuff winking on the back.

"You know what's terrible Leaf….." Red sighed as he looked at the card "You put so much effort into this card that…..I can't even be mad at you about it!"

"Oh Red…." Leaf sighed as she walked up and hugged him "You love the thief in me! You know you do!"

Red blushed at her sudden showing of affection "I hate to admit it but…..yeah….I do…." He sighed as he rolled his eyes in defeat and hugged her back.

As the two hugged in silence, Leaf saw a bright light shining out of the corner of her eye "Hey Red, what's that over there?" She asked pointing toward the light.

Red turned his head and saw what she was talking about "I don't know…." He wondered as he grabbed her hand "Let's check it out!"

As the two walked toward the light, they could hear the sound of waves growing increasingly louder and soon they discovered that the light was actually from a lighthouse.

"Check it out Leaf, we're right by the boat docks!" Red noted, amazed that they had made it to this end of Vermillion City.

"Oh! Red! Can we go stand out at the pier?" Leaf excitedly asked as she jumped up and down "It'll be so romantic!"

Red smiled and looked towards the lighthouse "Alright…" He nodded and then cheekily added "…..if I have too."

As they reached the pier, Leaf was completely mesmerized by the sight before her; the water was so calm that the stars were reflecting off the surface, making it look like there was another sky and far in the distance Leaf could see the lights of the S.S Anne sailing amongst the stars.

"Hey Red?" Leaf asked as she gently leaned her head against Reds shoulder and listened to the ship honk. "Why does the S.S Anne honk three times before coming into port?"

"Well…it signals that they're coming home." Red replied and leaned his head against hers as well "It's all based on the legend of Sir Aaron and Lady Rin, have you ever heard of it?"

Leaf looked up at him and shook her head "No I haven't."

Red took a deep breath as he recalled the old legend "Well Sir Aaron, a solider during the great pokemon war, fell in love with the daughter of a nobleman, Lady Rin. Unfortunately, Lady Rins father didn't approve of his daughter loving a low class solider like Sir Aaron and immediately sent him away. But before he left, Sir Aaron promised Lady Rin that he would return to port for her one day and when he did, he would let out three loud blasts of his horn, she would swim out to the boat and they spend their life together."

Leaf clasped her hands together in excitement "Oh I'm loving this story!"

Her excitement motivated Red to continue "So a year later, Sir Aaron did return and when Lady Rin was swimming out to the boat a thick fog set in and….she couldn't find the boat. As such, she panicked and cried out Sir Aaron! Sir Aaron! He in turn cried out Lady Rin! Lady Rin! And dove into the icy water after her where they-"

"Reunited in each others arms and kissed!" Leaf excitedly chimed in.

"No….." Red looked away as he trailed off "They…never found each other and drowned."

"WHAT?!" Leaf recoiled in shock and punched him in the arm "Red! That's terrible! What kind of romantic story is that?!"

"Hey!" Red winced as he rubbed his shoulder "I didn't say it was a happy legend!"

He then returned his gaze to the ocean and pointed to a bed of rocks not far away "But…the legend goes that they reunited at the bottom of the sea, right over there and every time you see the seawater spray up….that's them."

"….making love?" Leaf whispered.

"Yeah…" Red nodded before turning towards Leaf and slowly putting his arms around her waist "Making love….forever and ever….."

The two stared into one anothers eyes and Leaf giggled as Red ran his hand through her hair.

"_I swear, no matter how many times I do this, I always get nervous…._" Red thought to himself as he slowly leaned forward and closed his eyes.

However, as he did, Red heard Leaf suddenly yell out "WOW!" at the top of her lungs.

Reds eyes immediately shot open "Huh?" He wondered as he saw her eyes glistening and turned around to see a lively berry juice bar behind them.

Red turned back to Leaf and quickly shook his head "NO WAY!" He frightfully stated, but it was too late, Leaf had already grabbed his arm.

"COME ON RED!" She gleefully stated as she dragged him inside.

* * *

As the two entered the bar, Red looked around and saw that this bar was quite different from the last one Leaf had taken him too. For starters, the music was more upbeat and there was a huge floor that people were dancing on.

"Oh my god Red! They have a dance floor at this bar!" She excitedly pointed out "Come on! Let's dance!"

Red crossed his arms "Leaf I….can't dance!" He embarrassingly stated.

Leaf looked over at him and shrugged "Neither can I! But that's never stopped me before!" She replied, trying to tug him along, but Red wouldn't budge.

"Leaf, you do realize I just had to run….I don't know how many miles to escape some very angry waiters and I'm kinda tired right now!" He tried to explain to her, but she put her hands on her hips and looked at him disapprovingly.

"Wow…do you want me to get you a cane while we're at it Red?" She teased while nudging him in the side "Cause it sounds to me like you're getting old!"

"Oh shut up! You mean to tell me you're not tired from all that running?"

"Nope! The Great Shadow Thief never gets tired!" Leaf proudly stated with her head held high.

"_How did I know she'd say that…_" Red thought to himself as she patted his shoulder.

"Okay! Since you're soooooo tired, we'll go sit down…..but I'm getting us drinks then!"

The two found a small table to sit across from one another at and after ordering some drinks, Leaf turned to Red and smirked at him. She had a plan and she was going to see it through.

"_Oh….I'm going to get you dancing by the end of the night Red!" _Leaf evilly thought as she observed Red shyly looking around_ "And I know JUST the buttons to press with you!_"

"Now Red!" Leaf yelled out to get his attention "I expect you to fully keep up with me tonight! That is….unless you're too scared!" She teased him.

Red was taken aback but what she just said "_Too Sca-Who does she think she is? Claire?!_" He thought as he watched Leaf wag her finger at him.

Last time, Red could barely keep down 2 drinks and he wasn't about to have her show him up again "Scared?!" He sharply exclaimed as the waitress placed two occa berry cocktails on the "I'm not scared!"

He then grabbed his drink and downed it in one glup. However, as soon as he did that, Red immediately stood up and started coughing, completely forgetting how hot the Occa berry juice was.

Upon regaining his composure, Red saw that Leaf was beside herself laughing at him "Wow Red, you're such drama queen!" She proclaimed as she took her drink and gulped it down no problem "See! Face it! You're not going to be beat me!"

Red gave her the iciest glare he could "Is that a challenge?!" He hissed through his teeth "Cause if it is, you're going down!"

Leaf shrugged and shook her head "Alright….it's your funeral!" She said, hoping to egg him on.

"Fine! Bring it on Leaf!" He shot back to her.

"_Wow….you're all fired up tonight Red! And….that's just what I want!_" Leaf thought as she watched him boast.

A few minutes had passed and the two were now viciously staring one another down from across the table.

"Come on Red! You're four drinks in! There's no way you can down this one!" Leaf stated as Red shakenly lifted the glass up to his face.

He then stared at the red liquid for a few seconds before gulping it down in one go "BANZI!" He yelled out raising his hands in triumph "Alright Leaf! Beat THAT!" He pointed at her, but she turned away, it was time to put her plan into action.

She then turned back at him with an innocent expression on her face "Oh….I hope you don't mind but….I want to do something….different now Red." Leaf said as she stood up.

Maybe it was because he was 5 drinks in, but Red was a lot more open to suggestions now "Different? How so?" He asked as she grabbed his hand.

"Just….come with me!" She replied and pulled him up. Unfortunately for Leaf, as soon as she did, Red stumbled and collapsed into her arms.

"Red!" Leaf yelled as she tried to help him stand up straight.

"Sorry Leaf!" Red apologized "My legs are a bit wobbly right now…."

Leaf giggled with glee as she watched him, her plan was a success "_I should've stopped him at 4 drinks!_" She thought and tried to get Red to walk straight "Just left/right left/right Red!" She ordered as they made their way to the dance floor.

As soon as they got on the floor, Leaf let Red go and started dancing in front of him "Okay Red, let's see what you've got!" She said as she put her arms in the air and started twirling around.

Red stared at her dumbfounded "Umm…what should I do?" He shyly asked.

Leaf sighed and grabbed both of his hands "Here! Put your hands around my waist and follow me!"

"O-okay" Red shyly replied with a blush on his face "Like this?" He asked as he slowly moved around with her.

"Yes….but swing your hips more!" Leaf instructed and Red did exactly as she said "Good! Now keep this up!"

It took a while at first, but as they continued to dance, Leaf noticed that Red was taking the lead more and more until….

"Hey!" Leaf gasped as Red suddenly dipped her down "Where did this come from?"

Red raised his eyebrows at her "What can I say! I'm a fast learner!" He proudly stated as he twirled her around and pulled her in close.

It wasn't long before a crowd began to form around them and started to cheer them on as well.

"_Wow! This is working out better than I had anticipated!_" Leaf thought with glee as they kept dancing and eventually she let herself be taken by the whole experience "_I wish we could do this forever…._"

The two continued dancing for a little while longer before taking a break and walking back out to the pier.

* * *

"Red that was amazing!" Leaf praised him "I never thought you could move like that!"

"Neither did I….." Red panted with his head between his knees. The effects of the Occa berry juice was wearing off and Red was coming to a realization of what he just did "I don't think I can ever show my face in public again after that display…."

"What are you talking about? Didn't you see everybody cheering you on!" Leaf noted and did a little dance pose "Now you'll be a champion with the moves!"

"I don't need the moves to be champion!" He proudly exclaimed as he sat down on a bench to catch his breath.

"Oh Red…." Leaf sighed as she sat down beside him.

Red leaned his head back and looked into the night sky "It's getting pretty late…..what do you say we call it a night Leaf?" He suggested, but Leaf grabbed his hand and shook her head.

"I don't want this night to end just yet!" She pouted and patted his shoulder "I'll tell you what Red, since I made you go dancing with me, let's do something that you want to do now!"

Red couldn't believe it; she was actually letting him make a decision for once "Something I want to do….." He pondered as he rubbed his chin.

Leaf nodded and put her arm around him "Yeah Red! Anything! You name it, we'll do it!"

Red looked up at the sky for a few minutes before an idea popped in his head "Well Leaf….it's a clear night tonight!" He stated as he raised his eyebrows at her "You know….the caterpies will be out soon."

Leaf gave him a confused look "The….caterpies?"

"Yep!" Red nodded and pointed up at the sky "See when the moon is full, caterpies come out from the cover of the forest and breath the night air!"

"I….see…" Leaf muttered, wondering what he was getting at "And….this is significant because….."

"Because….Blue and I used to always go out and catch them!" Red replied, clearly growing increasing excited.

"_Woah! Take it easy Red, you're living on the edge!_" Leaf sarcastically thought to herself.

Unable to contain his excitement, Red grabbed both of her hands "What do you think Leaf?! It'll be so much fun!"

Leaf sighed as she looked up to the sky "Okay….let me get this straight Red: You have me out on a date, dressed in my finest and we're going to go and catch caterpies?"

Reds eyes were practically sparkling as he quickly nodded "Yep!"

Leaf couldn't help but giggle "_Wow….5 occa berry cocktails and he's completely out of his mind!_" She jokingly thought to herself before turning back to him.

"Well Red….." She trailed off, trying her best to leave Red in suspense "….you'd better hope I don't catch more than you do!" She proclaimed and winked at him.

"Oh Boy!" Red cried out and jumped off the bench, pulling Leaf with him "Come on Leaf! Let's go!"

As Red dragged her along, Leaf couldn't help but think to herself "_Who knows? Judging from his enthusiasm, maybe this WILL be fun!"_

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the house, pikachu, jigglypuff and mewtwo were sitting on the couch, waiting for Red and Leaf to come home.

"JIGGLY! JIGGLY!" Jigglypuff yelled as it glared at pikachu and mewtwo.

"**No Jigglypuff!**" Mewtwo replied as it shook its head at the small pink pokemon "**We've watched **_**Pokemon in Love**_** three times already! We're watching something different, right pikachu?**"

"Pika! Pika!" Pikachu nodded in reply as it watched mewtwo flip through the channels.

"PIKA!" Pikachu yelled and tapped Mewtwos shoulder.

"**Hmm?**" Mewtwo muttered as it watched what was on screen "_**Super Pikachu VS The World**_** huh? Sure why not!**"

Jigglypuff shook its head and quickly grabbed the remote out of mewtwos hand "Jiggly!"

"**Hey!**" Mewtwo gasped as pikachu grabbed the remote as well and the three pokemon started to wrestle with each other.

"**Alright! That does it!**" Mewtwo said as it psychically lifted the remote into the air where no one could reach it "**There! Problem solved!**"

Jigglypuff mischievously smirked as it watched mewtwo lift the remote into the air. It was just about to open its mouth when Mewtwo sternly looked over at it.

"**If you're thinking about trying to sing me to sleep. I wouldn't recommend it!**" Mewtwo stated as it raised its hand at Jigglypuff "**I'll disable your voice!**"

"J-jiggly…." Jigglypuff pouted as it crossed it's arms.

Pikachu could only laugh at jigglypuffs misfortune and smiled as it casually tapped its friends head to console it.

* * *

Meanwhile, armed with only a flashlight, Red and Leaf had reached the area along route 11 that the caterpies would show up.

"Okay…be very quiet…." Red explained as the two crept through the tall grass "If you shine the light on them, they'll get scared and they'll run away."

"Okay…okay…." Leaf whispered back.

"Hey Leaf, did you know that female caterpies are more attracted to males that have a bigger antenna?"

"No! I didn't know that!" Leaf cheekily replied "So what you're telling me Red is that size DOES matter!"

Red raised his eyebrows at her "A-are you referencing what I think you are?!" He stammered.

"What if I am?" Leaf playfully shrugged and shined the flashlight in his eyes.

"Leaf!" Red yelled as he tried to shield his eyes "Pay attention you're going to scare them away!"

"What if I do?" She continued to tease him, but all of a sudden, Leaf came to a stop.

"OH! Look! Look!" She pointed out "There's one!"

Sure enough, in the light was a small green caterpie that curiously looked at them.

Reds eyes narrowed as he gazed upon the small worm pokemon "Alright…..this would be a lot easier if we had a bug net…" He whispered as they crept closer "Now be very quiet and when I count to three, we'll grab it!"

Leaf nodded and Red started counting down.

"1!"

"Red…." Leaf whispered to him, trying to get his attention.

"2!"

"Red…my….heels…are….sinking into the ground…."

"3!"

Red lunged forward to grab the unsuspecting pokemon, but as he did, Leaf lost her balance and the two landed face first on the soft ground, scaring the caterpie they were trying to catch.

"Leaf! Are you okay?" Red asked as he pulled himself up and crawled over to her.

Leaf couldn't help but laugh at her misfortune "YES!" She managed to say, but couldn't stop laughing.

"You know, you just scared every caterpie away in a 5 mile radius!" Red stated as he made his way over to her.

"I'm…sorry!" She tried to blurt out between laughs.

As she continued to laugh, Leaf noticed that Red was staring longingly at her.

"W-what?" She said as she finally regained her composure.

Red nervously bit his lip as he stared into her eyes "I know I told you this before we left home but…..you look really beautiful tonight."

Leaf started to blush profusely "Y-you really think so?"

Red smiled and slowly nodded in response "Umm….Leaf?" He said as he inched his way closer to her "I know I missed my chance earlier but….c-can I kiss you?"

Red watched as a seductive smirk formed on Leafs lips. Without warning, she forcefully pushed him on the ground and leapt on top of him.

"H-hey! What do you think you're doi-" Red was cut off as Leaf put a finger to his mouth and his eyes widened as she leaned towards him.

"_Easy….easy…."_ Red thought as her hair brushed against his face the closer she got.

Leaf then stopped just a few inches from his face and whispered "Like you have to ask me twice!"

Red didn't know how to react to this; she had completely caught him off guard "Wa-Wait! Hang on Leaf! T-this is a little more aggressive than I'm used t-MPHHHH!" Before Red could finish his sentence, Leaf leaned down and kissed him hard.

* * *

Back at the house, the 3 pokemon where still watching _Pikachu VS The World_ when Jigglypuff glanced over at its yellow comrade and started giggling to itself "Jiggly! Jiggly!" It said, nudging pikachu in the side.

"Pika!" Pikachu replied and crossed its arms.

"**What's wrong?**" Mewtwo asked the little yellow pokemon and pikachu quickly glanced over at jigglypuff.

"**Jigglypuff said that the pikachu in the movie is more attractive than you?**"

Mewtwo glanced at the TV and then glanced back at the yellow pokemon "**Yep! I can't argue with that!**" It chuckled to itself.

Pikachu narrowed its eyes at the psychic pokemon "PIKACHU!" It yelled as it lightly punched mewtwo in the shoulder with its stubby arms.

Jigglypuff couldn't help but howl with laughter as it watched these events unfold and before long all 3 pokemon were beside themselves laughing.

"**Oh boy….**" Mewtwo said as it tried to regain its composure "**You two really are a lot of fun to be with!**"

It then looked up at the clock and saw that it was after midnight "**Wow….it's really late and they're still no back yet-**"

No sooner did Mewtwo say that and it heard muttering coming from behind the door.

"Leaf! Can you move out of the way so I can unlock the door?!" It could hear Reds muffled voice say.

"Out of the question!" Leaf replied to him "I'm the pretty one! So I get to go first!"

"The pretty one? What are yo-LEAF STOP LEANING ON THE DOOR! YOU'RE GOING TO FA-"

"WOAH!" Leaf screamed as the door flung open and she fell face first onto the front hall.

Upon hearing the loud crash, all three pokemon rushed over to check on her.

"Tremble in fear! The Great Shadow Thief has arrived!" Leaf announced as she lifted her head up.

The three looked up to see Red standing in the doorway with his hand over his face "Oh boy…..graceful as always Leaf…." He mused and bent down to her level "Here, let me help you get up."

Mewtwo watched Red tried to help Leaf stand up, but to no avail "**What happened to you two? Why clothes are all dirty?**" It asked in confusion.

Red closed his eyes and raised hand trying to collect his thoughts "It's a long story.…we uh….rolled around on the ground for a bit and then Leaf demanded that we go to another berry juice bar before coming home." He said looking down at her "And you're seeing the result of that decision."

"**Leaf…..are you going to be alright?**" Mewtwo asked, bending down to her level out of concern.

"EEK!" Leaf screamed and suddenly jumped into Reds arms.

Stunned by what just happened, Red frantically looked around "WAIT! WHA- WHAT HAPPENDED!"

Leaf looked around in a panic "Red! Red! I'm hearing voices in my head!"

Red dully shook his head "It's just Mewtwo Leaf, stop screaming!" He yelled trying to get her to calm down.

"Mew-who?" Leaf rubbed her chin and then started tapping Reds head "You know Red, normally people start with knock-knock before telling one of those kinds of jokes!"

Red had no idea how to respond to that and just shook his head again "Yeah…right….." He muttered and looked over at the three pokemon "Umm….I'm going to take Leaf up to her room, I'll be right back okay."

"Ohhh where are we going Red?" Leaf excitedly asked as Red started to climb the stairs.

"You're tired, you're going to bed!"

Upon hearing that Leaf yawned "You know…you're right….I am tired…" She mumbled and closed her eyes.

As the two walked upstairs, pikachu, jigglypuff and mewtwo just stood there dumbfounded as to what just happened.

"Pika….pika" Pikachu said looking up at Mewtwo and it nodded in response.

"**You said it pikachu…humans are strange!**"

As Red made his way upstairs and into Leafs room, he looked down to see that she was fast asleep.

"_I swear Leaf….you never cease to amaze me!_" He thought as he placed her down in her bed and was just about to turn around when he was suddenly stopped when something grabbed his tie.

"Where do you think you're going?" Leaf declared with her eyes half opened.

Red was completely caught off guard "Hey! What!" He screamed as she pulled him into bed with her.

"_Oh my god! This was not what I expected!_"

She then proceeded to wrap her arms around him and pulled him in so they were only inches apart "Why don't you stay here with me tonight?" She seductively said as she traced his lips with her finger and softly kissed him.

Red was sweating buckets and blushing more than he ever had in his life "L-leaf! Y-you know I…I…..have to feed the p-pokemon right now!" He stammered.

"Let it wait till tomorrow…" She muttered as she closed her eyes and snuggled her head into his chest "Just….stay…with me…."

He was seriously considering taking her up on her offer, when Mewtwos voice rang in his head "**Red is everything okay? You've been up there for a while.**"

"Yes! Yes! I'm fine! I'll be right down!" Red tried to communicate back the best he could. He then looked down to see that Leaf was now fast asleep in his arms.

"_Oh boy….why does she have to look so cute right now!_" He thought as he carefully untangled himself, trying not to wake her in the process.

Finally free from her grasp, Red stood above Leaf gently brushed her hair aside "Don't worry…." He whispered as he leaned forward and kissed her cheek "I'm always here with you…"

He then slowly closed her door behind him and made his way downstairs.

"**There you are!**" Mewtwo greeted as he made his way into the living room "**I was getting worried that something had happened to you.**"

"N-no everything's fine!" Red nervously replied and rubbed the back of his head.

Mewtwo gave him a confused look "**Are YOU okay? You're looking a little flustered.**"

"I'm fine Mewtwo, really!" He quickly stated as he reached into his pocket, pulled out some chocolates that Leaf had stolen and passed them to the three pokemon "Here, this is all we could bring back from the restaurant. How was everything tonight?"

The three pokemon sheepishly looked at one another "**Oh we had a great time!**" Mewtwo noted and pikachu and jigglypuff both nodded in response.

Red smiled as the three opened their chocolates.

"**Hmm…**" Mewtwo pondered as he took a bite "**Have to admit…this human food isn't half bad!**"

Red chuckled at the psychic pokemons curiosity and pulled out its pokeball "Are you ready to call it a night Mewtwo?"

"**Yeah…**" Mewtwo nodded before turning to pikachu and jigglypuff "**Thanks you two, I fun tonight.**" It noted as both pikachu and jigglypuff waved good night and it returned to its pokeball.

Red then bent down and picked up pikachu "You ready to go to bed buddy?" He asked and then turned to jigglypuff "You wanna sleep with me too jigglypuff? I wouldn't trust sleeping with Leaf tonight."

"Jiggly! Jiggly!" It happily accepted and jumped into Reds arms as well.

Red carried the two pokemon upstairs with him and closed the door to his room.

"There we go!" He said as he placed the two pokemon on the foot of his bed and crawled into bed.

"_You know….maybe things didn't go exactly as I planned tonight…._" Red thought as he closed his eyes "_But you know what…..I wouldn't have it any….other….way…._"

With that, Red drifted off to sleep. But unbeknownst to him, the events of tomorrow were about to cause a change that would alter his life…..again.

To be continued…..

* * *

**Alright, as I mentioned above, I plan to have the next part up in a weeks time. During the week I'm also going to be tweeking and re uploading some of the old chapters, so keep an eye out for that. As always I want to thank everyone for sticking with the story and I apologize for those waiting for the full final chapter, it'll come soon. With the story coming to a close soon, let me know what you guys think of it and if you'd like to see more content like this again in the future.**

**Thanks again guys! You're awesome and until next time, Ciao!**


	21. Final Chapter Part 2: Starting Anew

H**ello Ladies and Gentleman! Here it is! Part 2 of the Final Chapter and the last chapter of For The Longest Time! **

**Now before we begin, I just want to let you guys know that chapters 2-5 have been completely updated and rewritten (for the better I would say) if you haven't read them since I've uploaded this chapter and you're interested, go back and give them a read, they've changed quite considerably. As for the other chapters, I will probably update them too, but unlike the aforementioned 4 chapters, those will probably just be minor changes.**

**That being said, I really hope you guys enjoy this last chapter and have enjoyed the ride as much as I have.**

* * *

Final Chapter Part 2: Starting Anew

It had been a few hours since Red drifted off to sleep. At the time, he was sleeping soundly until….

*BANG*

"H-huh?" He mumbled with his eyes half open.

*BANG*

The sound loudly rang out again causing pikachu to get spooked and unintentionally shock him.

"OWW!" Red yelled as he jumped out of bed and ran to the window "What the heck's going on?"

He stared out of the window for a few seconds before turning around to see both pikachu and jigglypuff running around in a panic "Guys! Calm down!" He said as he bent down and scooped them up in his arms "Everything's going to be oka-"

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!" Leaf screamed as she suddenly burst into Reds room and started to shake him violently "Red! I'm not ready to die!"

"Calm down Leaf!" Red yelled back as he grabbed her shoulders to try and comfort her "I'll be right back! Just stay here okay!" He stated before running down the stairs and grabbing his coat.

* * *

As Red stepped outside, he was greeted by everyone in Pallet town standing outside their houses wondering what all the commotion was about.

"What's going on Red?!" Professor Oak asked as he ran up to him.

"I don't know!" Red replied and started looking around, trying to find out where the noise was coming from.

"Look! Over there!" Someone cried out and pointed towards some lights moving in the distance.

Red narrowed his eyes as he saw the lights as well "Don't worry everyone! I'm going to go investigate!" He bravely stated as he started walking towards them.

As Red make his way closer to the lights, it didn't take him long to see what all the commotion was about. Not too far away a bunch of construction workers were diligently digging away at the ground.

"HEY!" Red yelled as he ran up to the workers "What's going on here?!"

Before he could get on the site, the head construction worker stepped in front of him and stopped him "Sir I'm going to have to ask you to stay back!" He stated as he raised his hand in front of Red "This is the construction site for the new monorail system!"

"_The new monorail system?!" _It took Red a minute to figure out what he meant, and then it hit him "_That stupid petition I signed!_" He angrily thought to himself as the worker continued.

"So you see sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. This is a direct order from champion himself!"

"The CHAM-" Red was furious, he quickly reached into his coat to pull out his league license and he watched as the lead worker went wide eyed in response "I'm the EX-champion and I'm ordering you to halt your construction right now! Your digging just woke everyone in Pallet town up!"

The worker didn't know what to do; he was under orders from the champion to start building the new monorail system, but here was the ex-champion telling him not to "B-but….sir….the…champion…" He nervously tried to explain, but Red wasn't having any of it.

"I will discuss this matter with Lance later! Until further notice, you all have the night off!"

"Y-yes sir!" The worker saluted and ran off to shut everything down.

"See to it that it's done!" Red noted before turning around and walking back.

As he made his way back to the house, Red figured that he must have muttered "_I'm an idiot!_" To himself at least 12 times before making it back.

"It's okay everyone! You can all go back to sleep!" Red announced as he returned to the crowd in front of his house "There won't be any more disturbances tonight I promise!"

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and Red motioned for Professor Oak to come over "Remind me to discuss this monorail fiasco with you tomorrow…." He whispered in the professors ear and Oak nodded to him as he walked back into the house.

* * *

As Red closed the door behind him, he saw Leaf standing there with her hands on her hips.

"So….what was all that about?!" She demanded.

Red sighed, he really questioned whether he should tell her or not "Remember that petition we signed a while back Leaf?"

Leaf rubbed her chin in thought "Hmm….you mean….the one about the monora-OHHHHH!" She stopped as realization set in "That's what's going on outside?! I told you we shouldn't have signed that stupid paper!"

Red shook his head, even though she had voluntarily signed the petition like he did, he was too tired to argue with her "You know….normally I would disagree with you about that…..but you're right Leaf….it was my fault!" He said while yawing.

Leaf smiled and patted him on the shoulder "Yeah….but look on the bright side Red! You got those workers to shut up!"

Red tilted his head back and forth as a pleased smile formed on his face "Yeah…it was pretty awesome how I did it too…." He proudly stated as he and Leaf walked back upstairs "Well they won't be building anymore tonight, so we can sleep easy."

Just then, both pikachu and jigglypuff came running out of Reds room.

"Pika! Pika!" Pikachu said as it jumped into Leafs arms.

"Aww! Do you two want to sleep with me now?" Leaf asked as she petted pikachus head and slyly looked over at Red "It's okay….I wouldn't want to sleep with Red either! He rolls around a lot!"

Red chuckled as he shook his head "I'm surprised! After everything that happened last night, you still haven't lost your wit!" He noted.

"Oh! It'll take a lot of berry juices for me to lose that….." Leaf yawned with her eyes half opened. She then walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek "Good night Red."

"Yeah….get some sleep Leaf." He replied as he walked back to his room and closed the door.

* * *

Despite his best efforts though, Red just couldn't fall back asleep. He tossed and turned for a few hours and before long, he saw the sun creeping up over the horizon.

"Ugh….I might as well get up….." He moaned as he crawled out of bed.

Before going downstairs, Red crept over to Leafs room and slowly opened the door to reveal her all sprawled out on her bed, still asleep.

"_Well….I'm glad you managed to fall asleep._" Red chuckled to himself as his eyes drifted to the two pokemon sleeping on top of one another at the foot of her bed "_You guys are asleep to?_ _Why am I the only one with no luck?!_"

He then slowly closed her door and made his way downstairs "_Maybe I should go visit Blue? He wanted to talk to me last night._" Red thought as he stared out of the living room window.

With his mind made up, Red quietly grabbed his coat and after good few minutes of walking, finally reached Blues house.

* * *

"_I wonder what he wanted to talk to me about…._" Red thought as he knocked on the door, but to his surprise nobody answered.

"_That's weird…._" Red thought as he knocked harder this time "Hello?! Blue! Daisy! Anyone home?!" He yelled, but there was still no answer.

He then peered through the front window and saw that everything was dark inside "_I wonder where they are?_"

Red was just about to give up and walk away, when a huge truck pulled up in front of the house and at the wheel was none other than Blue.

"Red?!" Blue said in shock as he saw his friend "What are you doing here?"

"I…couldn't sleep and you said you wanted to talk to me about something last night." Red replied as he looked at the huge truck Blue was driving "What's…..all this about?"

Blue sighed as he jumped down from the truck, unsure of how he was about to explain the situation. "Red…." He took a deep breath "Daisy and I….are moving away…."

The words hit Red like a ton of bricks, there was so many questions he wanted to ask, but the only word he muster was "W-what?"

Blue sighed again; he knew Red wasn't going to take this well "Remember how Daisy was training to become a pokemon groomer?"

Red slowly nodded remembering all the times that Daisy would give his pokemon free grooming and massages, but he never thought that it would amount to anything.

"Well…word of her talent got out and she was offered a very promising job in the Kalos region."

Reds eyes widened "That far!"

"Yeah…it is far…." Blue noted before looking away "That's why I offered to come with her."

Red stared at his friend in disbelief "Y-you're joking right?" He said as he hollowly chuckled to himself "There's no way you could leave…."

Blue looked down at the ground "I have to…." He mumbled "I wouldn't feel right if she was alone…."

"But….how will you manage?"

Blue patted his friend on the shoulder "We'll be fine!" He noted "I had to give up the gym here, but….who knows? Maybe I could become a gym leader in Kalos!"

Red really didn't know how to respond and the more he thought about it, the more he realized that this would be the last time he would be seeing his friend for a while.

"Hey…" Blue chimed in "I was going to tell you last night….but I knew you were out on your date and….even if you didn't hang up on me…..I probably wouldn't have told you…."

Red crossed his arms "Why didn't you tell me before that?"

"Because I knew you would have tried to stop us!" Blue explained to him "Red this is important to my sister, it's what she's always dreamed of doing and you know that."

Red looked down at his feet "Yeah….you're right…" He whispered "It's just…..you and I have always been here…."

"But that's the problem Red!" Blue yelled back "You saw what happened last night! Pallet town is changing; expanding and….I don't think I can accept these changes. Not only that, but Grandpa is going to be retiring soon and I know he doesn't want to stay around here either."

"Him too…."

Blue nodded and pointed at Red "And let's not forget Red, you're planning on taking Leaf to see the other regions and who knows how long that's take!"

"_That's right….who will I get to watch over the house now?_" Red thought as Blue continued to explain his situation.

"Red…I want a chance to be able to see the world too….but I can't do that until I make a significant change in my life."

"You're….right….." Red muttered and looked up at his friend "You're right Blue! I'm sorry for looking so down, you know I'm really happy for you and your sister!"

Blue smiled as he unlocked the door to his house "Hey…do you mind helping me load the rest of the furniture in the truck?"

"Sure!" Red happily replied as he walked inside.

The two worked hard moving all of Blues furniture, all the while, reminiscing about all the good times they've had and after a few minutes, the truck was loaded.

"Thanks for your help Red! I guess you're good for something!" Blue smartly remarked.

"Yeah…." Red sighed as he placed the last chair in the moving truck "I…guess this is goodbye….."

"Yeah…" Blue sighed as well "Hey! Next time we meet up, we should have a battle!" He noted as he extended his hand "I'd battle you right now but….my pokemon are at our new house…."

"It's a deal!" Red stated as he grabbed Blues outstretched hand "Oh and Blue; you know best friends don't shake hands!"

Blue was caught off guard as his friend suddenly pulled him in and hugged him.

"Hey! HEY!" Blue yelled before sighing heavily "You're a sap….you always have been!"

"Don't worry!" Red laughed as he looked around "It's still early; I don't think anyone saw us!"

The two laughed and Red watched as Blue climbed up on the truck "Alright! I'm off!" He called out as he waved his hand "You tell Leaf that she still needs to get stronger!"

Red sarcastically shook his head "Wow….she beats you and you still think she's needs to get stronger?"

"Hey! You've beaten me and I still tell you that!" Blue replied as he started the truck up.

"…..Gary!" Red yelled out, causing his friend to immediately turn around "You be careful out there! Even though things are okay now, you never know when problems will arise again!"

Blue was shocked, it had been years since Red called him by his real name "…..you be careful too." He noted before driving off and Red watched the truck get smaller the further away it got.

* * *

With that done, it took Red a lot longer than usual to walk home from Blue's place. When he finally got home, Red slowly walked to the living room, sat down on the couch and buried his head in his hands. He really had no idea how to react to the events that just transpired. He had just lost his friend…..his best friend.

As he continued to sit in silence, Red could hear Leaf stirring out of her bed above him and he listened closely as he heard her footsteps draw near.

"Boy….it feels like someone's banging a drum in my head…." Leaf announced as she came down the stairs.

Red looked up and saw his wayward partner "Leaf…" He sadly greeted.

"Huh?" Leaf looked around, unsure of who was talking to her "Oh, Red! Good morning!"

Red watched as she sat down beside him and kissed him on the cheek.

"I had a lot of fun last night." Leaf noted as she threw her arms around him and propped her head against his shoulder.

A small smile formed on Red's lips "So did I….." He sighed and Leaf looked at him confused.

"What's wrong Red?" She asked out of concern.

"It's nothing…."

Leaf raised her eyebrows at him "Wow Red….if you're going to lie to me, at least try to be convincing." She said as she looked him in the eye "Did…..did I do something wrong?"

Red slowly shook his head "No…no…it's not you….it's Blue."

Leaf rolled her eyes "Oh boy….was he gloating about being better than you again Red?" She asked as she rubbed his shoulder "Hey, you and I both know that's not true!"

Red shook his head again "No….it's not that it….he's…..moving away….."

"Oh honey….." Leaf whispered, not knowing how to respond "I'm sorry….when's he moving?"

Red took a deep breath "Today…..Daisy got a job in the Kalos region and the two are moving away."

"The Kalos region?" Leaf asked, recalling that Red had mentioned it a few times in the past "How far away is that?"

"Far….we probably won't be seeing him again for a while." Red sighed and rubbed his temple "It's just going to be so strange….Blue not being here….." He noted as he bit his lip "….and it's not just him, I've heard that because of the new monorail system, they're hoping to expand Pallet town even more."

Leaf sighed as she rested her head against his "Things are changing huh?"

"I hate change Leaf…." Red pouted as he rubbed his head against hers "Nothing ever changes for the better…."

"But….change brought me into your life." Leaf noted and sadly looked into his eyes "Are you saying….you wish you hadn't met me?"

"Come on! You know that's not true!" Red exclaimed as he pulled her in close "To be honest Leaf, ever since I've came back, Pallet town just hasn't felt the same as before…..and…..now…."

The two sat in silence for a few minutes before an idea popped in Leafs head "You know…..I think I might have something that will cheer you up!" She happily exclaimed as she ran into the kitchen.

Red listened to Leaf rummage around the kitchen for a few minutes before skipping back in the living room with a magazine in her hand "Check this out!" She said, shoving the magazine in his face.

Red looked confused "House and Homes of the Kanto Region?" He read the title out loud and then turned to her "Leaf, where did you get this? We don't get these kinds of magazines sent here!"

Leaf nervously scratched her head "I…umm…..got it from Blues place last time we were there." She shyly explained and Red narrowed his eyes.

"You stole it?!"

Leaf nervously waved her hands in front of her face "I…I didn't steal it! I borrowed it without asking!" She tried to explain as her eyes darted from side to side "Hey! I had full intention of giving it back! But….now that Blue's gone….I guess….I'll just keep it now!"

Red sighed, there was no use arguing with her "So….what made you want to take this magazine anyway?" He curiously asked.

"Well….I just wanted to see what other kinds of houses there were Red….." She shyly admitted as she stared at the magazine "And….since we were on the subject of change….."

She trailed off as Red took the magazine from her hands and started to look through the pages "There are some nice places in here." He stated as she sat down beside him "But why would we wan-"

"Come on! I want to show you this one place!" Leaf cut him off as she cuddled up beside him and flipped through the pages "Here! Check it out!"

Red stared at the picture in awe. It was a large 3-storey wooden mansion with its own guest house "Mount Silver?" He asked looking over at her.

"Yeah Red! Look how big it is! All our pokemon could stay in the guest house out of their pokeballs!" Leaf happily explained "And, above all else, it would be quieter!"

Red took a deep breath as he stared at the picture of the huge wooden house "…moving….." He whispered to himself before shaking his head "I can't!" He exclaimed as he stood up in distress.

"W-why not?" Leaf asked as she watched Red frantically pace around.

"Leaf…my mom left me this house, I was born here!" He explained to her "And…if I left I'd feel like….the last bit of her I have with me will be gone!"

Leaf sighed as she stood up as well "Red….hasn't our journey been all about leaving the past behind?" She said as she slowly wrapped her arms around him "Look, I understand that this house means a lot to you; but, if you and I are truly going to put the past behind us, then this is the last step."

Red took another deep breath "I know….you're right Leaf and there's a part of me that really wants too…" He then looked away "But….there's also a part of me that still…"

He trailed off as Leaf stared into his eyes and smiled sweetly at him "Okay…how about this; let's go check this place out, see what we think and if we like it we'll take it, if not, we won't." She suggested to him "Nothing has to be final Red….."

Leaf watched as Red closed his eyes in thought for a few seconds "Why do you make me want to do crazy things like this?" He stated as he opened them again.

She playfully shrugged "I'm just crazy I guess!" She winked at him

Red couldn't help but smile "Alright…I'll go on one condition; it's only you and I that go. We won't involve the pokemon until we're ready to make a decision."

Leaf now had the biggest smile on her face "It's a deal!" She happily replied as she rubbed his shoulders "Just remember Red, the decision we make today can't just be what you or I want. It has to be one….that benefits us all; me, you and all our pokemon!"

"Right!"

* * *

So it came to be that the next day Red and Leaf would venture to the office of real estate in the Kanto region and in a few hours they found themselves traveling to the summit of Mount Silver, staring that the house that they had seen in the magazine.

The house itself was a sight to behold. It was at least twice the size of their current house with three levels to it and beside it was a guest house for all the pokemon to live in. Not only that but…

"Check it out Red! Snow!" Leaf excitedly claimed as she picked up some snow and threw it in the air "I've never seen snow before! This is so cool!"

Red tipped his hat "If you're that excited, wait till you see the Sinnoh region…." He muttered to himself as he watched her play in the snow "Now THAT has a lot of snow."

The real estate agent eventually unlocked the door so they could see the inside and of course, Leaf got too bored listening to the agent ramble on about the house and promptly ran off to explore on her own, leaving Red to listen to the agent all alone.

As he did, Red noticed that the more the agent explained to him, the more nervous he seemed to get.

'A-and while there a-are times that the t-temperature g-goes about freezing in the spring and summer…the c-climate is generally cold…." The agent nervously stated.

Red raised his hand "I have a question!"

"Y-yes!"

"I have two fire pokemon; how will they stay warm when the temperature goes below freezing?"

The agent quickly opened his notebook "W-well you see…" He stuttered as he flipped through the pages "W-we can offer to build you a room in the guest house with permanent heating!"

"I see….." Red noted as he watched the agent sweat bullets and finally asked "Is there something wrong?"

"N-no!" The agent lied, but Red gave him an unconvinced glare "W-well it's….just…..you're the champion right?"

Frustrated, Red took a deep breath "EX….champion…." He responded as calmly as he could "_How do people STILL get this wrong!_" He thought to himself.

"W-well….regardless…." The agent nervously responded as he handed Red a piece of paper and pen "I… was wondering if I could get you're a-autograph?"

"Sure." Red said as he accepted the pen and paper "I'm going to be honest with you….I don't know if I could live in a place that's this cold so often throughout the year…." He noted as he wrote his name on the paper.

"I completely understand!" The realtor quickly responded trying to impress Red "Who would ever want to live in a place like THI-"

The two jumped back as a small part of the floor underneath them suddenly opened up and out popped Leaf looking really excited "Check it out Red! A secret compartment! Perfect for stashing away my looouuuuu…" Leaf froze when she saw that the real estate agent was right there with him "Loooouggage! Yes! Luggage!"

Red could only shake his head in amazement as he watched his partner climb out of the compartment and scratch her head nervously. He then walked over and grabbed her arm "Leaf, can I speak to you in private?!" Red asked as he pulled Leaf into the next room.

As soon as he made sure they were out of earshot, Red turned to her "So? What do you think?"

Leaf clasped her hands together, unable to contain her excitement "Oh I love it Red! This place is great! You should see the huge dining room it has and it has 2 bathtubs! 2 BATHTUBS!"

All the while Leaf was explaining, Red was staring into her eyes "What about our pokemon?" He inquired "Do you think they'll like it?"

"Well…I didn't get to fully see the guest house yet!" Leaf noted "But from what I've seen, it should be big enough that all pokemon could live there outside of their pokeballs!"

Red nodded as he continued to stare into her eyes. He could tell that everything she had just told him was completely sincere and he trusted her judgment more than any relator.

Leaf watched as Red took a deep breath and smiled at her "I see….." He whispered before grabbing her hand and walking back to the main foyer "We'll take it!"

The realtor looked at him in shock "What?"

Leaf turned and looked at him with equal shock "WHAT?!"

"Where do I sign?"

The realtor scrambled to open his briefcase "Umm….can you give me a minute to get the papers ready!" He excitedly stated as he ran into another room.

Leaf couldn't believe it "Are you serious about this?" She asked, making sure she wasn't hearing things.

Red turned to her and smiled "Your eyes don't lie Leaf, you really do love this place don't you?"

Leafs heart began to beat faster as she nervously scratched the back of her head "I-I do….I think it would be perfect for us all!"

The smiled on Reds face grew bigger "I believe you!" He noted as he began to caress her cheek "You said we should officially put our pasts behind us and while this place will have some hardships for us to overcome, I think this is the perfect place to do it!"

Leaf couldn't hold back her excitement anymore "RED!" She happily screamed as she jumped into his arms.

Red couldn't help but start laughing; he couldn't deny that he was actually really excited as well "Haha! Come on Leaf! Give me on arm free so I can sign the paper!" He said as they both regained their composure "But….you should know; if we go through with this, there's going to be a lot of work we'll have to do before we move in!"

"Whatever we have to do, I'm ready for it!" Leaf said as she jumped up and down.

Red happily nodded "Alright! Then it's decided!" He stated and Leaf blushed as Red suddenly her pulled her in close "Now…are you ready to watch the Great Ex-champion get some great deals for this place?!" He whispered in her ear as the agent came running back into the room with papers in hand.

"Okay sir, are you ready to sign?"

"Yes I am…" Red replied and then held out the autograph the realtor requested from him "You….know….this autograph you wanted…..I could give you a very special mention on it….if you want…"

The realtor was shocked, he was a really big fan of Red and the idea of a special mention made him excited "R-really? Thank you so much! What would I have to do?" He excitedly asked.

A mischievous smirk formed on Reds face as he walked over and patted the agent on the shoulder "Oh….let's have a talk and we'll figure something out…." He said as they walked into the other room.

As she followed behind them, Leaf had the biggest grin on her face "_I've taught you well Red!_" She thought with delight as she watched him negotiated with the realtor and within the span of a few minutes, Red had managed to not only sign off on the house for a much cheaper price, but also got it so that all their stuff would be personally moved for them.

It was done; this was to be their new house. But before that could happen, there were many hardships the two would have to overcome.

* * *

In the weeks to come, Reds words rang true as they spent hours packing things up and Red had the arduous task of finding a buyer for the house.

Leaf, on the other hand, had other problems to worry about. She was finally given ownership of her old mansion that she lived in as a child and now a decision had to be made on what to do with it. As such, Red, Leaf and all their pokemon found themselves traveling back to the mansion in the forest. However, for one of their pokemon, it was a completely new experience.

"**This….is where you…..lived once before?**" Mewtwo telepathically asked Leaf as it joined all the other pokemon by her side.

Leaf nodded "Yes….a long time ago….when my parents were still ali-" She stopped when she saw that Mewtwo was looking away from her.

"**I wish you didn't bring me….**" It said, trying to avoid her gaze "**I don't deserve to see this….**"

Leaf closed her eyes and sighed. Deep down, she knew in her heart that neither she, nor the psychic pokemon could ever get over the events that transpired all those years ago, but they were both determined to make amends for what happened.

"It's okay Mewtwo….I want you here with me…" Leaf admitted as she turned to the psychic pokemon "You…perhaps more than anyone else, deserves to see how this ends…"

Mewtwo said nothing and just stood in silence until Red made his way out of the mansion.

"Okay Leaf! Everyone's in position!" He called out as he ran up to her "Are you sure this is what you want?"

Leaf stared at him for a few seconds before biting her lip and nodding "Yes…it's what I want…." She muttered as she scanned over mansion "This place….shouldn't have even existed after that day."

"Okay…." Red whispered as he gently placed his hand on her shoulder "It's your call Leaf…..when you're ready…."

Jigglypuff jumped into its partners arms and Leaf took a deep breath before she muttered "Charizard…Moltres…" She then looked down at her feet and quietly ordered "Flamethrower…"

The two pokemon sadly looked over at Leaf before flying up into the sky and unleashing their attack on the mansion, setting it ablaze.

"Blastoise! Lapras! Use your hydro pump and create a parameter around the mansion so it doesn't catch on the trees!" Red ordered and then turned to articuno "Articuno can you use your ice beam and help them as well?"

Red watched as articuno flew into the air to help the other pokemon and then turn his attention back to Leaf, but when he did, he wasn't prepared for what he saw.

Her eyes were filled with tears and she was fighting to hold them back "W-when I made the decision to do this….I never thought anything of it…." She whispered to him "I….I….never thought it would be this hard….."

"Leaf…."

As they continued to watch the mansion burn, neither Leaf nor jigglypuff could hold back their sadness any longer and tears were now streaming from both of their eyes.

Red didn't know what to say to her and all he could think to do was wrap his arms around her "It's okay…It's okay…." He whispered again and again. All the other pokemon leaned against her as well, trying to comfort her.

"Sorry guys…." Leaf sobbed as she looked down at her pink partner "Jigglypuff and I don't mean to be sad in front of you…."

"**There's no shame in being sad.**" Mewtwo suddenly spoke to her telepathically "**What happened that day was tragic, but I will do everything in my power to amend for it!"**

Leaf watched as Mewtwo walked up beside her and put its hand on her shoulder "M-mewtwo…." She muttered.

The psychic pokemon sadly looked over at them **"I will protect you, both of you….and I'll make sure that nothing like this ever happens again!"** It noted as it turned its attention back to the burning mansion.

They all watched as Leafs former residence turned into a pile of hot coals on the forest grounds and became a distant memory. It had taken many years, but it happened; Leaf could now truly, finally move on with her life.

* * *

With that done, a few days later the big move was upon them. That morning, a bunch of movers showed up at Reds house to move all their belongings up to the new house.

Before he left, Red slowly walked through each room. All the rooms were bare, but each one had its own specific flood of memories that came back to him.

"_It's okay…._" Red reassured himself as he made his way through each room "_I found a good buyer for this house; I know they'll take good care of it…._"

As he slowly made his way to the front door, Red turned around and looked his old residence one last time "_Mom….I'm sorry…I know you left me this house but….this is for the best…._" He thought to himself as he walked outside.

Leaf watched as he locked the door behind him and just stood there "You okay?" She asked as she walked up to him.

"Yeah…." Red replied as he looked down at his feet "Just…never thought this day would come…."

Leaf sighed and gently grabbed his hand "Come on Red…don't look back." She said as she slowly lead him away.

The two climbed up onto charizards back and as they ascended into the sky, Red took one last look at the town he once called home.

"Farewell….my little town…." He muttered as they departed to their new life on Mount Silver.

* * *

After moving in, it took some time for everyone to get used to the colder temperature and higher altitude of the mountain. However as the weeks passed, Red and Leaf found themselves gradually getting used to the atmosphere of their new home. While the solitude of the mountain area took some time to adjust to, they grew to appreciate the peacefulness and they couldn't deny that it was great that all the pokemon could now roam around freely.

A Few Weeks Later

"Hmm…." Leaf mumbled as her eyes fluttered open. Despite living at the new house for some time now, Leaf was still getting used to waking up in an entirely different place then she was used to. She then stretched out and walked over to a nearby window to see the snow slowly falling outside.

"_Wow….it's so pretty…._" Leaf thought as she heard the sound of footsteps coming towards her room.

"Jiggly! Jiggly!" Jigglypuff called out as it ran into Leafs room and leapt into her arms.

Leaf smiled and hugged her pink partner "Good morning jigglypuff! Did you sleep well last night?"

Jigglypuff happily nodded and not a few seconds later pikachu came storming into Leafs room and jumped into her arms as well.

"Good morning to you too pikachu!" She greeted and petted its head "Is Red up yet?"

Pikachu nodded and Leaf couldn't help but chuckle to herself "_Of course he's up already!_" She thought as she walked out of her room.

As Leaf made her way to the main floor, she spotted Red sipping on a hot drink, staring at the snowy landscape.

"You're up early!" She called out to him.

Upon hearing her voice, Red turned around and smiled "No….you're just getting up late!" He sarcastically replied and presented her with a drink of her own "I hope I didn't disturb you when I got up this morning."

"Nope! Not at all!" Leaf replied as she took a sip of her drink "You must have used those awesome ninja skills of yours!"

Red raised his eyebrows "Either that or you sleep like a log now!" He sarcastically noted.

After the two finished their drinks, they made their way to the guest house where all the other pokemon now stayed.

* * *

"Good morning everyone!" They both greeted, causing all the pokemon to come running towards them.

As they petted each of their pokemon, Red and Leaf heard a familiar voice speak in their minds "**Good morning my friends!**" Mewtwo greeted as it appeared in front of them.

"Good morning Mewtwo!" Leaf greeted back as she presented it with some food "How was everything last night?"

"**For me everything was fine…however…**" It trailed off and turned to charizard and moltres "**It wasn't good for our friends here.**"

"Oh-no!" Leaf sighed as she walked over to the two pokemon "Did the heater break down again?!" She asked and they both nodded in response.

Red wasn't surprised. Ever since they came here, there had been some adjustments that had to be made and trying to accommodate for the two fire pokemon was one of them.

"Don't worry you two!" He stated as he petted both charizard and moltres "I'll get it fixed up for you!"

With that said, Red and Leaf spent the next few hours installing a new heating system for the two fire pokemon.

"Hey Leaf, do you mind handing me that screwdriver?" Red asked as he observed the new thermostat he had installed.

"Sure!" Leaf replied and passed the tool into to Reds hand.

"Thanks!" Red noted as he screwed the panel back together "Blaine gave me this new heating system! It's supposed to keep the rooms temperature at a comfortable level for fire pokemon even when the temperature drops below freezing!"

Leaf smiled as she felt the room immediately warm up "They're going to be so happy!"

"Yeah….hopefully this one lasts…." Red noted as he wiped the sweat from his brow "Well that's enough work for today, let's head back to the house Leaf."

* * *

As they exited the guest house, Leaf couldn't help but smile as she watched all the pokemon roam around and play with one another.

"So how are you liking the new place Red?" She asked as she looked over at him.

Red sighed "Well….it's definitely quieter and I'll admit there are days that I miss Pallet Town but….. " A smile formed on his face as he watched the pokemon as well "I also can't deny that I'm really happy where I am!"

"What about you Leaf?"

"Oh! I love it here! It's like we live on top of the world Red!" Leaf excitedly replied as she kicked some snow up "And I love the snow so much!"

"Oh….you love the snow huh?" Red cheekily noted as he bent down and picked up some snow in his hand "Well….maybe if you love it so much….you should HAVE SOME!" He yelled out and pushed the snow in Leafs face.

"AHHH!" Leaf screamed as the sudden blast of cold hit her face "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

Upon wiping the snow from her face, Leaf saw that Red was beside himself laughing "What happened? Is the Great Shadow Thief off her game today?" He sassed her.

Leaf gritted her teeth as she bent down and packed the largest snowball she could muster "Oh! You are SO dead!" She yelled and threw the snowball as hard as she could at Red.

Unfortunately for her, Red managed to dodge the oncoming snowball and it ended up hitting an unsuspecting Mewtwo, who was passing by at the time.

Leaf watched in horror as the snowball slowly rolled down the psychic pokemons face "**What….was….THAT!**" Mewtwo demanded as it psychically summoned a dozen snowballs to its side.

"N-now hold on Mewtwo!" She stammered waving her hands in the air "Let's not be hast-" Leaf never got to finish her sentence as all the snowballs pelted down on her "Red! RED! Save me!" She called out as Mewtwo kept up its relentless assault, but Red just stood there shaking his head.

"**Aren't you going to help her?**" Mewtwo telepathically asked, but Red shrugged.

"I would….but this is too much fun to watch!"

Leaf gave him the iciest glare as she stood up and shielded her eyes "WHAT?! YOU JERK!" She yelled out as she charged Red full forced and tackled him down on the ground "A gentleman is always supposed to come to save a lady!" She stated as she shoved a snowball in his face.

Leaf then turned her attention to Mewtwo, who was laughing in her head "And you're just as much of a jerk as he is!" She yelled and threw a snowball right in the psychic pokemons face "Yeah! Where's your 10 000 IQ now?!"

Soon everybody started to join in and before long; there was snow flying everywhere.

They all laughed and played for a few hours, getting completely soaked in the process, before Red and Leaf called it quits and made their way back inside.

* * *

Now that they had finally settled into their new house, it was time to focus on their next objective: Going to see the other regions. As such, the two had decided that, because it was the closest, they would see the Johto region first. All the preparations were in place and it had been decided that tomorrow would be the day that they would venture to the sister region.

After changing out of her wet clothes and warming up with a hot shower, Leaf made her way downstairs "That was so much fun Red! But you're still a jerk!" She laughed as she made her way into the dining room. As she did, Leaf spotted Red sitting at the table with a bunch of papers strewn all over.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she sat down beside him.

"I'm just getting out my old maps of the Johto region!" He stated as he looked over at her "I want to make sure we're ready for our trip tomorrow!"

"I still can't believe we're going! It's so exciting!" Leaf stated as she hopped up and down in her seat "So what's the Johto region like Red?"

Red scratched his head, remembering his past adventures in the region "Honestly….not that much different from Kanto…..if anything it's a little bit smaller….." He explained "But there are some interesting landmarks, new gym leaders and a bunch of new pokemon that you've never seen before!"

Leaf couldn't contain her excitement; this would be her first time outside of the Kanto region. However, as she looked over, she saw that Red had a nervous look on his face.

"You know Leaf….there are a lot of other regions we could explore…" Red muttered as he looked down at his feet "We don't have to go to Joh-"

"Nope! We're going to the Johto region!" Leaf cut him off "Don't forget that I promised Claire we'd battle one another and I'm going to show her what happens when you insult the Great Shadow Thief!"

"I know….I know!" Red acknowledged "It's just….I'll admit, I'm a little nervous to return there….."

"Why?" Leaf asked and a sly smile formed on her face as a thought popped in her head "Don't tell me there are more **old flames** I should be aware of?" She teased and wagged her finger in front of his face.

Reds eyes widened from that statement "W-what! N-no there shouldn't be anyone like that in the Johto Region!" He stuttered as he waved his hands in defense "But….there is this certain yellow capped individual that I'm not all that thrilled about seeing again!"

"Oh?" Leaf replied as she confidently raised her fist in the air "Well it doesn't matter who we meet! I'm not scared!"

"_I know….and that's what worries me the most…._" Red nervously thought to himself as he watched Leaf scratch her head.

"Actually, since we're on the subject of the Johto region Red. I….have something to….confess…." Leaf said as she looked down at her feet.

Red looked at her confused "Oh? And that is?"

"Remember, when I said that I didn't know anything about the Johto region?"

Red quickly nodded in response "Y-yeah…what about it?"

"Well….that's….not entirely…true…" Leaf admitted as she continued to nervously scratch the back of her head and looked up at him "Umm…..have….you ever heard of the Legendary Thief: Silver Mask?"

Red was at a loss for words "Silver…..Mask?" He muttered in disbelief with a completely blank look on his face "_And I though Great Shadow Thief was an over the top title….."_

"Why Red!" Leaf pinched his cheek "Judging from the look of disbelief on your face, I'd say you want to know more about him!"

"No…no…" Red shook his head "You…just told me everything I needed to know…."

"Well I'm going to tell you anyway!" Leaf excitedly clasped her hands together "He's my idol Red! A true thief's thief!"

"Oh really….." Red dully replied as he continued to listen to her prattle on.

"Yeah! He comes under the cover of darkness and steals from the rich!"

Red raised his eyebrows expecting to hear more "….and?"

Leafs eyes darted from side to side "And….what?"

"That's it? He steals from the rich?" Red clarified "Isn't there another part to that line?"

"W-well I assume he gives to the poor…." Leaf stuttered as she nervously scratched her head again "All thieves do that!"

"Oh really?" Red noted as he watched her fidget about "Did you ever give to the poor?"

"N-no….b-but I needed all the money I stole to survive!" Leaf tried to explain, but realized that she was only digging herself deeper "LOOK! He's the legendary thief….he's obviously good and honorable!

Red shook his head in disbelief "Oh come Leaf! Is he really that good of a thie-"

"IS HE THAT GOOD?" Leaf immediately yelled out and started flailing her arms in the air as she walked away "The man is a living legend! Tormented by inner demons of which, mere mortals could never understand…."

Red couldn't believe what he was hearing "H-he's got demons?!" He inquired as he ran after Leaf "_T-that's actually kinda cool…._"

* * *

The two walked outside and made their way to the edge of the mountain. Ever since Red and Leaf had moved to Mount Silver, it had become a tradition for them to watch the sunset over the mountain range and tonight was no different.

"**Ah! I see you two beat us here!**" Red and Leaf heard Mewtwo speak in their minds and they turned around to see all their pokemon coming to watch the sunset with them.

"Hey!" Red called out as pikachu jumped in his arms "Is everyone ready for our big trip to the Johto region tomorrow!"

All the pokemon roared in approval, except jigglypuff, who silently jumped into Leafs arms.

"Hey….it's okay to be nervous jigglypuff." Leaf explained to her pink partner "We're not the only ones who haven't been to the Johto region before."

"**That's right.**" Mewtwo suddenly chimed in "**It will be my first time outside the region as well.**"

Red smiled as he patted the psychic pokemon on the shoulder "Are you excited Mewtwo?" He asked "It'll be a whole new experience for you!"

Mewtwo slowly nodded. Not only would this be the first time it left the Kanto region; but, it would also be the first time it would be traveling with human companions **"I am…but…I'm nervous as to what the people of Johto will think of me…."** It admitted to him.

"Oh…probably no different than what we think of you!" Leaf reassured the psychic pokemon when suddenly, an idea popped in her head "Hey Mewtwo! You should join me for one of my gym battles!"

Mewtwo watched in confusion as Leaf excitedly jumped up and down "**What's a gym battle?**" It asked as it leaned towards Red.

Red rolled his eyes "Leaf! Seriously?! Are you trying to make these gym leaders have no chance?!"

"But Red!" Leaf pouted as she pointed to Mewtwo "Imagine the look on Claires face if I sent Mewtwo against her!"

Red closed his eyes trying to imagine that scenario "Actually…now that I think of it…." He muttered as he opened his eyes "That would be pretty entertaining to see!"

* * *

They all watched the sun set until it was just barely peeking over the horizon.

"Alright everyone…." Red yawned as he turned to the pokemon "We should head back and get some sleep, we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow!"

All the pokemon nodded in approval and as they began to walk back to the house Mewtwo stopped and looked back.

"What's up Mewtwo?" Red asked as the psychic pokemon stared at him and Leaf.

"**I just want you two to know…that no matter what happens on this venture tomorrow…I'll be there for you….both of you.**" It spoke in their minds before turning and walking back to the house "**Because you're not just my human trainers, you're my friends!**"

Leaf smiled as she watched all the pokemon walk back to the house and then turned to Red, who was still staring at sunset. "Come on Red, let's get some rest!"

Red smiled as he glanced over at her "You go ahead Leaf, I'll be there in a few minutes."

Leaf shook her head "I want to stay with you for a bit." She stated and Reds face went flush as he felt her head rest on his shoulder "It's sure been a wild ride for us, huh..."

"Yeah…..it sure has…" Red agreed as turned to her and smiled "And I promise it's only going to get better from here Leaf…..as long as we're together."

Upon hearing that, Red saw her eyes dart away "What's wrong?" He asked as she looked down at the ground.

"N-nothing!" Leaf stammered as she quickly shook her head.

"It's just….to think….before I met you…..I was nothing….just some thief running from the law….." She admitted to him "Now look at me…..here I am….standing on top of world….beside the former champion..."

Red heard her voice shake as she continued "Before we met, this would have been something I would only dream of…." Leaf said as she sadly looked up at him "I….I still don't understand what you see in me Red…..I don't deserve this at all!"

"Leaf…." Red whispered as he slowly caressed her cheek "Look….you can call this fate, or destiny or whatever you want to call it. But, the truth is….when it comes to you and me…..you make me really happy…..happier than I've ever been and the time we've shared together…..I wouldn't change it for the world….."

"Red…." Leaf whispered as she then proceeded to lean forward and kiss him slowly on the cheek "…I love you….."

Red blushed as he touched the area that she kissed him "I love you too…" He replied "I really do….."

Leaf sniffed, trying to hold back her tears "Thank you….for everything…." She stated as she turned around.

However, just as Leaf was about to walk back to the house, Red suddenly grabbed her hand.

"Leaf….." Red called out as he stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Y-yes…" Leaf stuttered as she slowly turned back to him.

Red sighed and shook his head "Come here!" He said as he pulled her in close and kissed her passionately.

"_Hey! How dare you steal a kiss from the Great Shadow Thief Red!_" Leaf thought to herself as Red began to wrap his tongue around hers "_Oh hell! I'll let it slide just this once!_" She conceded as she let herself be taken by the passion of the moment.

When they finally parted lips, Leaf didn't know how to react "W-wow!" She blinked, trying to find her words "That...was quite…..bold of you!"

"Well…." Red trailed off as he ran his hand through her hair "Rumor has it that you love the element of surprise…"

"Oh? Is that so?" Leaf giggled as she seductively smirked at him "You must have a very good source Mr. Champion because you were absolutely right in thinking that!"

Red blushed as she playfully traced his face with her finger "Well….don't stay out too late!" Leaf stated as she quickly kissed him and turned around"…..I'll be waiting for you….."

As Leaf made her way back to the house, Red returned his gaze to the mountainous landscape. So much had happened to him since he had met Leaf and as he watched the sun set behind the mountains, Red reflected on those times.

"_Why is it that we do what we do? Why did I take a chance on someone who…..in all honesty….shouldn't have meant very much to me?"_

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing his thoughts.

_When I first met you….you were just some girl that I took pity on because she had lost her way in life. Now….tomorrow I'm about to start a whole new adventure with this same girl at my side. Am I nervous about it? Of course I am! But you know what? I wouldn't change it for the worl-"_

"RED! HELLO?!" A voice suddenly called out to him from behind.

Reds eyes shot open as he frantically looked around "Huh? What?!" He yelled as turned around to see his brunette partner stand right behind him "Leaf?! I thought you went inside?"

"Yeah…..I was going to too…." She admitted as she shyly shrugged "But I missed you too much!"

"Y-you've been standing behind me the whole time!" Reds eyes widened as he realized what that meant "W-wait! D-don't tell me you saw-"

"You, standing like a dolt for 5 minutes?" Leaf quickly interjected "Oh yeah! I totally did!"

Red rolled his eyes "Oh….great!" He mumbled "Now I probably look like a crazy person!"

"Uh-huh!' Leaf teased him and nudged him in the side "You're so crazy Red! I think I might need to get out the straight jacket!"

He watched as she winked at him and he couldn't help but start laughing "I love you so much!" He stated as she grabbed his hand.

"Come on Red! Mewtwo wants to challenge you to a game of chess!" Leaf said as she tugged him forward "After all, we know how much you LOVE chess!"

"W-was that supposed to be a shot at me Leaf?!" Red chuckled as he wiped the tears that were forming in his eyes from laughing so much "Alright just watch me! I'll show that ultimate lifeform who's the boss!"

As the two walked hand in hand towards the house, Red looked over at Leaf, who was still giggling from his showboating and resumed his thoughts.

"_You always tell me, that I've changed your life for the better, but have you ever considered how much of a change you've had on mine? Because…..if it wasn't for you…I may not be here right now. You keep me strong, you give me a reason to keep going every single day!" _

The more Red thought about it, the bigger a smile started to form on his face and by the time they reached the house, Red couldn't hide it any longer. As he lead Leaf inside, he couldn't get over how lucky he was to have her in his life.

"_Where will our travels take us, I don't know? But what I do know is that I love you with all of my heart and I will fight to make sure no one ever hurts you again. I promise…I will be there for you….no matter what…..always….for the longest time…._"

With that, Red closed the door behind him, ready to face whatever tomorrow had in-store for him because, as long as he had Leaf by his side; anything was possible.

The End

* * *

***sighs* Wow….I really don't know how to feel right now. I mean, on one hand, I'm happy because it's finally over and I can move on to new things. But on the other hand, I'm sad that it's over and there's a part of me that doesn't want it to end and just wants to keep going.**

**You know, when I first started writing this story it was just….a joke pretty much, I had the idea in my head and I wanted to write it down. I would never have imagined that I would end up loving writing this story so much and loving the characters etc. Not only that, but I got to put a whole bunch of my favorite movie and game quotes into the story too, so next time you read through the story keep an eye out for them. This was my personal project of 2015 and it will always be something that I will remember 2015 by (Even if it ended in 2016 lol).**

**In the end, I am happy that I finished it. I said I would and I did and I'm very happy with how each chapter turned out. Believe me, there were some chapters that I began thinking to myself "There's no way this will ever turn out right!" And yet they always fell into place! I can't believe it. Also, I want to thank everyone for their patience, like I said, a lot happened in my life since beginning this story and it's weird to think that when I began this story I was still in school and now I have a permanent career in a new city. As such, what used to be a schedule of 1-2 chapters a week became a chapter every 2 months (And I believe I apologized for that in every chapter since chapter 16 LOL!) And I really do apologize for making you guys wait. Because of my new job, it was getting really hard to find time to write and a lot I would say I was going to write and completely get writers block (especially in the later chapters).**

**Now, before I go there are 2 things I have to get off my chest.**

**First, there are some people that I really need to thank for their contributions to this story.**

**Arslan Senki aka Nintendona aka ND: You were my very first and for a very long time, only reviewer I had on this story. I want to thank you for all your feedback and story ideas and even though you live half a world away, you've been a great friend. If you're interested check out NDs RedXLeaf fics, they can be a bit out there at times, but they're still a good read!**

**Sarah Kay Writer: Oh boy…where do I begin? This story has improved leaps and bounds thanks to you! You were the reason why I started taking my time and making sure that the story was edited properly and it's been so much better since! Not only that, but your contributions, namely the memory jar idea, have been amazing and I can't thank you enough! On a personal level, you are such an amazing person and you don't know how happy I am to have met you (Even if you always distracted me when I was trying to write my chapters lol) Also if you're interested, check out her RedXLeaf story _In the Moment_ it's awesome andI may…or may not have had an influence in her writing it ;)**

**INGEN Hunter Pon-3 aka HuntertheWeaville: I've said it once and I'll say it again; chapter 14 would not have been possible without your ideas and I can't thank you enough for your contributions.**

**And...I have to give props to the Billy Joel song: For the Longest Time, which not only inspired the title, but was also a big influence to this story. Give it a listen if you're interested.**

**I also want to give a huge shout out to my regular reviewers; you don't know how much your feedback means to me:**

**Kageofdoom: Greetings from Canada my friend! Thanks for all your support you've been awesome!**

**The Legendary Falcon Fall: You've been a big supporter of mine since the Articuno arc and I love seeing your reactions when I shake things up. Thank you so much for your feedback!**

**Cherry Ninja: I hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! That you don't have a profile cause I would have thanked you for your feedback a long time ago! Oh well! I'm thanking you now :) You're awesome! Thank you so much!**

**To everyone else that has reviewed, especially all the guests, thank you so much for your feedback, your kind words really meant a lot to me.**

**Now, the other thing I want to discuss is what's happening next. Now originally I was going to put a sequel hook at the end of the story, but opted against it because….to be honest…..I really have no idea how I want to do a sequel to this story yet. I do have ideas….but nothing concrete and I want to make sure I know exactly what I'm doing before I start writing a sequel. So my plan is, when I do get a good idea for a sequel I will release what I had written as an epilogue and then that way you guys know when the sequel is being made.**

**In the meantime, I do have another idea for a story and yes, it is another RedXLeaf story, but that's all I can reveal right now and I don't know when I'm going to start it, but I would like it to be my 2016 personal project.**

**Once again I just want to thank everyone so much! This was my first story and the feedback I've gotten as well as the people I've met, have been incredible. As always, let me know what you thought of the story and if you have any ideas for the sequel or just want to talk, shoot me a PM (I may not get back to you right away, but I will get back to you I promise!).**

**Until we meet again! Ciao!**

**Bass**


	22. New Chapter Annoucement!

**Hello Everyone Bass Here.**

**Yes your eyes are not deceiving you, because of a certain bet I had with someone; this story has a new chapter for it that takes place after Chapter 21! However, because this chapter is a lot more mature in tone compared to the others I unfortunately cannot just add it to this story or I'd have to change the rating just for one chapter. As such it'll be it's own separate story titled "A Gentlemans Challenge" and you can either find it on my profile or in the feed if it's set to everything.**

**Obviously because it is an M rated fic and deals with a lot more intimate scenarios, readers discretion is advised.**

**Otherwise, I hope you guys enjoy it!**


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